Sylvia Hanika (born 30 November 1959 in Munich, West Germany) is a former professional tennis player from Germany. She is best remembered for finishing runner-up at the French Open in 1981, and for winning the Avon Championships in 1982. She was ranked as high as No. 5 in the world and played left-handed.
Career
Hanika turned professional in 1977. Her first professional title was the German Indoor championships in 1978.
In 1981, Hanika reached the women's singles final at the French Open, where she was defeated 6–2, 6–4 by Hana Mandlíková.
The crowning achievement of Hanika's career came in 1982, when she defeated World No. 2 Martina Navrátilová 1–6, 6–3, 6–4 in the final of the Avon Series Championships at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Garden was also the site of Hanika's last big singles win: a 6–4 6–4 defeat of #3 Chris Evert in the first round of the Virginia Slims Championships in 1987.
Hanika won her final top-level singles title in Athens in 1986. She retired from the tour in 1990, having won four professional singles titles and one doubles title.
Between serves she was known to bounce the ball more than anyone tennis commentator and historian Bud Collins remembers: ". . . as many as into the 30s. If she faulted on the first, it was awful, another 30 or so bounces."[2]
Germany[1]
Hana Mandlíková
Martina Navratilova
