Kaia Kanepi

Kaia Kanepi (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈkɑi.ɑ ˈkɑnepi]; born 10 June 1985) is a former Estonian professional tennis player. She achieved her career-high ranking of world No. 15 on 20 August 2012 and has won four singles titles on the WTA Tour. Kanepi retired from professional tennis by 2025 and subsequently began competing in padel.

Described as a 'resident Grand Slam upset specialist' by The Guardian – with 19 wins over seeded players in the first week of Grand Slams; only two active players (Victoria Azarenka and Venus Williams) have more. She has also reached seven Grand Slam quarterfinals in all four championships (French Open in 2008 and 2012, Wimbledon in 2010 and 2013, the US Open in 2010 and 2017, and Australian Open 2022), becoming the first Estonian to achieve this and was the first Estonian to be ranked inside the world's top 15. Kanepi's numerous achievements have made her one of Estonia's most famous and successful professional tennis players in history. Kanepi reached her first final in 2006, becoming the first Estonian female player to do so, at the Gaz de France Stars where she lost to Kim Clijsters. She then won her first singles title at the Palermo Ladies Open in 2010, also becoming the first Estonian female player to win a title.

Kaia Kanepi was born in Haapsalu. Her father, Jaak (a real estate broker) and mother Anne (a homemaker) played tennis. They also have daughters Kadri, who won a tennis scholarship to study in the United States, and Karin, a dedicated horse rider. Kaia, who always watched her parents and sisters play, discovered her love for tennis at an early age. She started playing at the age of eight. Her family has always supported her desire to play professional tennis.