SUMMARY
- Hsieh Su-Wei has had a bright start to the season by winning titles at the Australian Open.
- Hsieh Su-Wei has been playing tennis since childhood and had a record-breaking start to her career.
The 2024 Australian Open has been the event for the senior players to reestablish themselves on the tour. In the singles competition, the youngsters were holding the trophy. Meanwhile, the other three competitions were about the older players on the tour with the trophies. Hsieh Su-Wei was one of the few players who played in all three contests in Melbourne.
Su-Wei was also among the senior players at the Australian Open this season. She has been on the WTA tour for over two decades now. Su-Wei has played 1696 matches in her career so far. She displays energy on the court even after competing in singles and mixed doubles. It has been possible for her as she has a supportive family outside of court.
Hsieh Su-Wei’s family and childhood
Su-Wei was born on January 4, 1986 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She spent her childhood in Kaohsiung and was introduced to the game by her father at age five. She grew up watching Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi on television. Her father, Hsieh Tze-Lung, and mother, Ho Fom-Ju, made sure Su-Wei grew up around sports just like her five siblings.
The Taiwanese player is not the only tennis player in her family. Her younger sister, Hsieh Shu-ying, and brother, Hsieh Cheng-peng, are also professional tennis players. Su-Wei plays double-handed groundstrokes on the tour, giving her game more power even though it looks effortless. Her variations in the strokes, including dropshots, gave her the nickname “Wizard.”
Hsieh Su-Wei’s entry into the WTA tour
In 2001, 14-year-old Su-Wei played her first match on the ITF tour. She won the first five events of her career and went on to win the first 35 matches. Su-Wei’s run came to an end in Bali, Indonesia, at the hands of Angelique Widjaja in three sets. After two months, she made her debut on the WTA tour at the Volvo Open as a qualifier and reached the quarterfinals.
Su-Wei ended her first season tour ranked No.183 but could not win a match on the tour in doubles. Till 2005, she continued playing on the ITF tour as her rankings dropped to No.398. Her rankings improved a bit after losing in the opening round of the US Open as a qualifier. It was her first appearance at a grand slam event. Su-Wei lost in the opening rounds at the French Open and Wimbledon in 2006.
Tennis is better when Su Wei Hsieh is playing ♥️ pic.twitter.com/KZplJDmE2w
— Kat (@idontmindk) August 27, 2023
The 2007 season saw Su-Wei secure her first doubles title at the WTA 1000 China Open with Chia Jung Chuang. The pair won the next event at the Hansol Korea Open to enter the top 60 in rankings. Since then she found more success in doubles and regularly won titles with different partners. She had to wait a few more years to make an impact in singles.
Hsieh Su-Wei triumphs in Malayasia
While Su-Wei was being consistent in doubles, she got her first break in singles in Malaysia in 2012. As a qualifier, she won the BMW Malayasian Open while defeating Petra Martic in the final. Martic retired in the last set due to an injury as the scoreboard read 1-4 in favor of Su-Wei. Seven months later, she took the title at Guangzhou while recording three bagels in the event.
In 2013, Su-Wei won the WTA Finals with Shuai Peng, and the pair finished as runner-up the following season. The 2013 season saw Su-Wei and Peng win Wimbledon as it was their first grand slam title. The couple won the French Open in 2014 for their second grand slam crown together. Su-Wei went on to win Wimbledon thrice with two partners.
Weekend Warrior 🔥
Hsieh Su-Wei picks up the 2024 @AustralianOpen Mixed Doubles title and the Women’s Doubles title! 🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/btkhghUJ8r
— wta (@WTA) January 28, 2024
In 2023, Su-Wei won the French Open and Wimbledon doubles. This year saw the 38-year-old win her first mixed doubles grand slam title in Melbourne with Jan Zielinski. In addition to her mixed doubles victory, Su-Wei won her eighth major with Elise Mertens in doubles.
Hsieh Su-Wei husband and children
Su-Wei has been in a relationship with Frederic Aniere since 2019. The couple met in 2016 in Paris through a mutual friend. Aniere grew up in Paris and is a real estate agent. He pursued his marketing degree from France. The pair travels together, and Aniere can be seen in the crowd while his girlfriend is on the court.
In 2022, Aniere and Su-Wei announced on social media that they had become parents for the first time. They had a son whose name has not been revealed to the public. He was born on 15th July in 2022. Su-Wei has been keeping her personal life away from the media.
The eight-time grand slam winner will be looking to improve her rankings in singles this year. Su-Wei will also defend her doubles titles at the French Open and Wimbledon. Being one of the oldest players on the tour, she does not seem to slow down and will be keen on increasing her grand slam tally this year.