Who is Victoria Duval?

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Who is Victoria Duval?

By Erik Gudris / August 28, 2013

Victoria Duval pulled off the first huge upset of this year's US Open. But the 17-year-old and her family's triumph over personal adversity still may be her biggest victory.

(Photo Credit: Andy Kentla)

Victoria Duval became an overnight sensation after her surprise upset win over former US Open champion Sam Stosur on Tuesday night. But the 17-year-old American who, looks younger and speaks with a charming squeak to her voice, has been on the tennis radar as "someone to watch" since her junior days. But Duval and her family's personal triumph over adversity may yet still be the biggest win of her life.

READ - Duval Stuns Former Champ Stosur

November Girl: Duval was born on November 30, 1995, in Miami, FL. Her family moved back to their native Haiti and Duval lived there until she was eight years old. Duval currently resides and trains in Bradenton, FL.

From Ballet to Tennis: As a child, Duval thought about becoming a ballerina. But after winning her first junior tennis tournament at age seven, her mother told her to make up her mind. "I was seven. I had no idea how to keep score, nothing. It was a 10‑and‑under tournament, I think, and I won it. I had no idea where to stand on the court or anything. After that, my mom was, Okay, you have to choose now. Tennis seemed to be appropriate."

Early Trauma: While living in Haiti, Duval along with several members of her family were taken hostage during a home robbery. Duval escaped unharmed but the incident is something she does not like to dwell on. "It's not a good memory, so I try to forget as much as I could about it. I don't remember too much of it anymore, which is great."

Disaster Strikes: Duval's father, who was a doctor back in Haiti, returned in 2010 to help run a medical clinic there. When a massive 7.0 earthquake struck that country, Duval's father found himself severely injured and buried under rubble for 11 hours. A family friend in Atlanta, that the Duvals met through tennis, charted a private helicopter to pick up Duval's father and return him to the U.S. for treatment.

When asked if her father can work now, Duval said. "He's not. But he's improving so much. Emotionally it was hard at first. But he's as happy as he's ever been. He had a couple surgeries that helped take the pain away. We're just so happy that, you know, he's in a good state of mind right now. He's just here with us. So it's incredible."

Junior Champion Versus Major Champion: Duval in 2012 won the Girls 18s Nationals. That result prompted the USTA to grant her a wildcard into the main draw of that year's US Open. She drew Kim Clijsters for her opening round match that was played on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Clijsters won in straight sets, but Duval credits that experience for helping her defeat Stosur. "It helped me a little bit. The crowd didn't seem so overwhelming, because I felt like I was in that position before. Also I got a lot of experience at the World Team Tennis."

Mighty Mentor: Duval played World Team Tennis this summer and received a lot of support from tennis legend Billie Jean King. King texted Duval after her win over Stosur.

Tweet of the Night: Rapper Lil' Wayne, who is big tennis fan, sent out a congratulatory message to Duval on Twitter. But since Duval is not Twitter herself, she only heard about the tweet in her press conference. "I heard that Lil' Wayne tweeted me. I need to go check that out. I don't have Twitter. I'm going to go hit that up. Maybe I have to create one and be like @weezythankyou."

Describe Yourself: "I am very goofy off the court. I think I'm very much of a child at heart. Uhm, on the court, you have to be a warrior because that's just the sport we are in. You know, off the court I think it's important to have fun and be a good role model for other people. Just, I don't know, have fun. My motto is 'have fun.' "

Favorite TV Show: SpongeBob SquarePants

Will Victoria Duval Be a Star? "That's what I'm working for. If God will let it, then let's go."

Follow Erik Gudris on Twitter @ATNtennis