Vania King enters a World Team Tennis match. (All photos by Ben Rothenberg for The Daily Forehand)

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American Vania King has already accomplished more by age 20 than most players achieve in their entire careers. She has won a WTA singles title (Bangkok 2005, when she was only 16), and has a career high ranking inside the top fifty.  

Vania's resume is even more impressive in doubles, in which she has already won seven WTA titles.  She is  currently ranked #23 in doubles, which matches her career high.

Already in 2009 she has made her first grand slam final, making the finals of mixed doubles of the French Open with partner Marcelo Melo.  She also made the quarterfinals of women's doubles at Wimbledon with partner Anna-Lena Groenefeld, losing to eventual champions Venus and Serena Williams in two close sets.  

As a cherry on top of an already strong 2009, Vania was also named the female MVP of World Team Tennis in her debut season, leading her team the Springfield (Mo.) Lasers to a 12-0 start and the Western Conference Championship.

Vania was kind enough to agree to answer some questions The Daily Forehand sent her way a few days ago.  The questions and her answers are after the jump.

The Daily Forehand: You had an incredible season in World Team Tennis, leading your team to a 12-0 start, the Western Conference championship, and being named the female MVP of the league in the process. How much confidence did your WTT play give you, and what did you learn from it?

Vania King: This was my first time ever playing World Team Tennis, and I have to say that I have some of my best memories there. I was lucky to have a great team because that's what it's all really about, the team. I gained a lot of confidence from playing, especially because in Team Tennis the matches are so short and quick that when I get to a real match, I feel like I have much more time to play. I learned to play every point as it is, since every point counts!

TDF: So many players are seemingly tormented by not winning a title for a long time. Many top players in the game (like Samantha Stosur and Dominika Cibulkova) still have not won a title to date. How important was it for you to win that Bangkok title early in your career, and do you feel like it takes pressure off you for the rest of your career?

Vania King: Haha, well at the time I never thought like that, and I still don't. I guess since I've won it, once the implications of it sunk in, I never had the time to worry about winning a title. I was young at the time and with the help of my coach at the time, Ray Ruffels, so free in my play. It was my first year of playing professionally so I was playing just to play and compete.

I'm trying to get back to that state of mind! I think to play my best I need to enjoy the competition, appreciate the opportunity, and fight as hard as I can, disregarding the monetary benefits or ranking. That will come if I can do the former.

TDF: You share a coach with Alla Kudryavtseva, and played doubles with her a lot. How did the arrangement come about, and does coach sharing work, especially since you two have such different playing styles?

Vania King: I don't share a coach with Alla anymore--the coach you are referring to is Christian Zahalka who I split with last year in November. Alla and I are still very good friends though. I am working now with Tarik Benhabiles and Erwann LeRidant, both French coaches. I started to work with them in the off season last year (late November / December), and I really feel like I've improved a lot, physically, mentally, and technically.

It also helped that I stopped traveling with my family, and in doing so, I started to not only appreciate them more, but was able to take responsibility for my actions and enjoy playing tennis.

TDF: What ATP player’s game most resembles yours?

Vania King: I never gave much thought to that! I usually just look at them for their looks :). I can't really compare because men's tennis is so different to women's tennis.

TDF: What ATP player would you most like to play mixed doubles with?

Vania King: I don't have any preference really. I mean, if I were on the court with Roger Federer, I would just gape at him the whole time. We'd probably lose that way.

TDF: You seem to enjoy singing a lot (see Vania singing the Star-Spangled Banner at Dodger Stadium).  Have you been singing from a young age and have you had any professional training?

Vania King: I started singing ever since I started tennis. My mom made my sisters and I do many different activities and sports when we were younger--apart from tennis lessons, we took swimming lessons, Chinese dance lessons, piano, and singing lessons. My singing teacher Karen McLain (who still works in Long Beach if you are interested) was amazing at enthralling me to the world of music and I love it so much--singing yes, but music in general as well.

TDF: If you had a choice between a #1 album and another tour title, what would it be?

Vania King: I think it would depend on the Tour title, haha! Well, tennis is my job right now, so I am focused on tennis. I sing because its my hobby, my passion, but I am focused on tennis right now.

Vania King: I've played Fed Cup multiple times, and I am honored every time I play for my country. My parents are immigrants from Taiwan, but I was born in California and was raised in the American culture living the American dream. Sometimes the Chinese or Taiwanese players ask me why I don't play for their country, and I tell them that while my blood is Taiwanese, my heart is American.

TDF: I watched your brother, Phillip King, play an incredible match in Washington a few years ago against Tim Henman, which he lost in three sets but really played well in, and won over a lot of the crowd. Since then he’s struggled, and recently has been playing Futures. What are your thoughts on how his game and his career have gone, and what do you think he needs to do to get back up to where he was?

Vania King: Well, my brother just went back to Duke University for his MBA. I really admire him and he was one of my idols growing up. He was the reason I started playing tennis--because he was so naughty in grade school, his teacher suggested to my parents that he find an outlet for his energy, whether it be music or sports, and he chose to play tennis.

He was the best junior in the country for two years, winning the Boys 18 and under Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan twice. I think he struggled with the idea that his peers when he was a junior were doing so well as professionals while he went to college, but in life, you can only make the choices that you believe are the best at the time, and you can never predict that it will turn out the best. We may never know.

TDF: Generally speaking, what are the main things that separate a top 50 player from a top 200 player? Are the differences more in skill or mindset?

Vania King: Specifically for those ranking categories, it probably is a difference of skill--within the top 100 most players don't have many weaknesses or are effective at covering them. Once you get into the higher and highest ranking categories, mostly mental toughness and fitness comes into play.

Vania King: The challenger circuit is the stepping stone for WTA events. The competition is tough in both circuits, but sometimes even tougher in ITFs because there are so many players clawing for the top. WTA events is where you've "made" it--hospitality is provided, the courts are usually very nice, the hotels are nice, the service is nice, whereas in the challenger circuit, you can hope for these things, but it isn't always produced.

TDF: What keeps you going, and what are your goals for the future (both short term and long term)?

Vania King: I keep going in the hopes that I can play to my full capability and enjoyment. I have such an opportunity. I hope that I can help others somehow, now and in the future, and if I can use tennis as a tool for that, then I will keep playing. I would like to be within the top 20, but if I can keep improving, enjoying, and competing, I will be happy.


Huge thanks to Vania for agreeing to do this interview, and generously taking time out of her schedule to write out thoughtful answers to each and every question.  Huge thanks are also in order for my longtime British tennis pal Kingsley Walker, who did all the set up for the interview through the magic of Facebook.