Julia Vakulenko

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Julia was born on July 10, 1983 in Jalta, Ukraine to Mother Gala and Father Oleg. She was introduced to tennis by her Mother at age 7. At 14 she moved to Barcelona, Spain to train at the Bruguera Tennis Academy. She turned pro in 1998, won her first ITF title in Mallorca the same year and quickly moved through the rankings, finishing 2001 at 135 in the world. In June 2002 she fractured a bone in her left hand from a fall at her home in Barcelona. Two days later she broke her right hand from a fall during practice. If that wasn't enough, she then strained an abdominal muscle and missed six months of competition. She showed her resilience and talent by coming back in late 2002 and winning two tournaments: a $25K Challenger in Deauville, France and a $75K Challenger in Boynton Beach, Florida. This year she reached the third round at the French Open after having to qualify and broke into the top 100 for the first time.

Julia is fluent in Russian, Spanish and English. She enjoys reading, the beach and outdoor activities generally. Favorites include roses, the color pink, author Joyce Meyer, actor Brad Pitt and the movie Pretty Woman.
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
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