By A.S.

THE PEDIGREE: Vaidisova’s stepfather, Alex Kodat, was an accomplished player, and he brought Vaidisova from the Czech Republic to Florida and the Bollettieri Academy when she was 11. After learning to speak English on the courts at Nick’s, she used the trademark Bollettieri power-baseline game to win three straight tournaments in 2005 and reach the semifi nals at Roland Garros last year.

THE PERSONA: What would Vaidisova be if she weren’t a tennis player?  “A lawyer,” she says without hesitation. “I like to argue. My dad says I like it too much.” Poised almost to a fault, the 6-footer seems like the world’s oldest 17-year-old, handling every part of her career with ease. “It’s just normal,” she says. “Usually I have everything under control.” That includes her own brand: Vaidisova was scheduled to debut her clothing line with Reebok at the Australian Open in January. The garments are girly, with bright colors and maybe a bow or two, a contrast to the Breakfast at Tiffany’s styles worn by Maria Sharapova or the urban funk of Serena Williams. “It’s a long process,” Vaidisova says. “Right now we’re thinking about 2008.”

THE GAME: Watch Vaidisova’s two-handed backhand and it’s easy to see her as a work in progress. It looks like the same stroke she might have learned as a 6-year-old—she keeps the racquet close to her body and searches for every available ounce of leverage. Vaidisova also needs to work on her movement. While she’s fast, she sometimes stumbles as though her legs were a bit longer than they were yesterday. But her service motion is precise, and her size and strength make it a weapon.

THE PROGNOSIS: When her rough edges get polished, the sky will be the limit. By all accounts, Vaidisova has learned from the mistakes of blondes past and is keeping her eye on the big prize. “I want to be remembered as a tennis player first, and everything else second,” she says. “So I keep that in my mind and I try to make decisions based on that.”