Julia Goerges

Julia Goerges is a German tennis player, who has made a name for herself with her attacking mindset and smooth shot-making.

Goerges has had a steady if unspectacular rise through the tennis ranks, showing significant improvement from year to year. In 2018 she reaped the rewards of her dedication by reaching her maiden Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon, and it is expected that she will continue to knock on the doors of the elite in the years to come.

Best finish at each of the four Grand Slams:

Australian Open: 4th Round (2012, 2013, 2015)

French Open: 4th Round (2015)

Wimbledon: Semifinalist (2018)

US Open: 4th Round (2017)

Highest Ranking: No. 9

Style of play

Goerges is an attack-minded player who likes to hit big from the baseline to take away from the opponent.

Goerges generates a huge amount of topspin on her forehand, which shoots off the court with pace and pushes players well behind the baseline. Her backhand is more conventional, rolled with spin crosscourt and swatted flat down the line.

The German doesn't come to the net too often, and uses the forehand rather than the volley as the putaway shot. She also doesn't employ too many variations from the baseline, preferring instead to turn rallies in her favor by hitting deep and hard.

Strengths and weaknesses

Goerges is one of the few female players today who consistently uses the serve as a weapon. She has a strong first serve and an effective kick on the second, both of which she uses to put her opponents on the defensive.

Goerges' forehand is also a major tool in her arsenal. The tremendous topspin she generates on it is especially lethal on clay, but recently she has used it to good effect even on grass and hard courts.

The German is not the quickest around the court, and also doesn't change the pace of her shots too often, which makes her vulnerable to players who hit bigger than her.

Goerges is not very comfortable at the net, and has been known to stone quite a few easy volleys.

Personal life

Goerges was born in Bad Oldesloe, and both her parents - father Klaus and mother Inge - are insurance executives. In fact, insurance was such a constant topic of conversation in the Goerges household that young Julia tried escaping from it by going off to the town's tennis club.

She started playing tennis at the age of six, and considered Martina Hingis as her role model while growing up. After turning pro at the age of 17, she spent a considerable amount of time on the ITF circuit, trying to hone her skills for the bigger challenges that lay ahead.

Her gradual improvement started bearing fruit a few years into her career, and in 2011 she seemed ready to break into the top echelons of women's tennis when she won the Stuttgart title. However, her good form lasted just a couple of years, and in 2014 she fell out of the top 100.

Goerges never faded away though, and in 2016 she resumed her upward march. Her resurgence culminated with the 2017 WTA Elite Trophy win in Zhuhai, and a few months after that she achieved her Slam breakthrough by reaching the Wimbledon semifinal.

Goerges' big game will always have the potential to challenge the top players, and if she remains committed to the sport, there's no reason why she won't be an elite player herself till the end of her career.

Social media presence:

Julia Goerges Instagram: @julia.goerges

Julia Goerges Twitter: @juliagoerges