Hantuchová became a professional tennis player in 1989, when she was 15 years old. She started training in Florida, but still went back to Bratislava, Slovakia, to study. She won her first WTA tournament in 2000, a doubles title which she won in Bratislava. In 2001, she played her first Grand Slam tournament at the Australian Open. Hantuchová lost in her first match in Australia to Russian player Anna Kournikova. However, she won the mixed doubles tournament, playing with Czech player Leos Friedl. Hantuchová won her second WTA doubles competition by winning with Russian player Elena Bovina in Luxembourg. She finished the year in the top 100, and was given an award by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for being the best new player in 2001.