Amelie Mauresmo Profile

Amelie Mauresmo of France shows her frustration during her fourth round match against Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic on day seven of the Australian Open Despite winning two grand slam titles Amelie Mauresmo has never overcome her reputation for being something of a Grand Slam choker. For many years Mauresmo was known as the greatest women's player never to win a Grand Slam.

The former world number one made an auspicious start to her grand slam career in 1999. The unseeded Frenchwomen reached the Australian Open final at first attempt, beating three top seeds, including Lindsay Davenport, along the way.

While Mauresmo went on to lose to Martina Hingis in the final, her achievement made her the the only Frenchwoman besides Mary Pierce to have reached the Australian Open final since 1922.

In 2003 Amelie Mauresmo began her move up the rankings in earnest, and her success at that year's Fed Cup propelled her into the WTA top 10 for the first time. By the following year Mauresmo had secured the number one ranking, spending 5 weeks at the top rated player in women's tennis.

Amelie Mauresmo's critics will say that she was gifted her Australian Open title in 2006 when Justine Henin retired due to stomach cramps. Later that year Mauresmo appeared to have answered her critics when she took the women's singles at Wimbledon, coming back from a set down to defeat Justine Henin 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Mauresmo went on to reach the semifinals of the 2006 US Open, only to lose 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 to Maria Sharapova - becoming the first female semifinalist to have lost two sets to love. Mauresmo's achievements in 2006 saw her presented with the "Chevalier of the Legion d'honneur" by French President Jacques Chirac.

The 2007 tennis season saw Mauresmo commence a slide down the rankings. The Frencwoman was knocked out of the Australian Open in the fourth round, was defeated at the French Open in the third round, and proceeded to exit Wimbledon in the fourth round. She withdrew from the US Open due to lack of fitness.

Mauresmo's losing streak continued throughout the 2008 tennis season, starting with a third round exit at the Australian Open. Mauresmo's performance at the Australian Open set the tone for the rest of the season, with the Frenchwoman failing to lift a single title and missing two months of the season with a thigh injury.

Mauresmo’s comeback from injury began promisingly enough, as she reached the semifinals of the 2009 Brisbane International before succumbing to injury.

However, at the 2009 Australian Open Mauresmo once again failed to impress, and left the tournament empty handed after being eliminated in the third round. The 2010 Australian Open may well be the last time Australian crowds see Mauresmo in action, as her slow decline in form seems likely to bring her career to an end sooner rather than later.