Barbara Rittner (born 25 April 1973) is a former professional tennis player who comes from Germany. Her career high ranking was No. 24 in the world, a ranking she achieved on 1 February 1993. She currently is the captain of the German Fed Cup team.
As a junior, she won the 1991 Wimbledon Championships. She won her first WTA Tour title in 1992, and almost nine years later she won her second at the Belgian Open in Antwerp. This marked the second longest time between singles titles in the Open Era (behind Marcie Louie, who captured her second title 9 and half years after her first one). She also has three doubles titles with three different partners.
She reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam twice in her professional career. Once at the French Open in 1996 and again at the Australian Open in 2001. Her best performances at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open are the third round in both.
At 's-Hertogenbosch in 2003 as a main draw alternate, she recorded the best win of her career over the then-sixth ranked Amélie Mauresmo before losing to Kim Clijsters. Earlier in the year she achieved her first career top ten win over Jelena Dokić at Indian Wells.
In January 2005, she became captain of the German Fed Cup team.
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“Children are extraordinarily precious members of society; they are exquisitely alert, sensitive, and conscious of their surroundings; and they are extraordinarily vulnerable to maltreatment or emotional abuse by adults who refuse to give them the profound respect and affection to which they are unconditionally entitled.”
—Wisdom of the Elders, quoted in Kids Are Worth It, by Barbara Coloroso, ch. 1 (1994)