Cover Anna Kalinskaya at the Singapore Tennis Open 2025 (Photo: WTA / Ashok Kumar)
Anna Kalinskaya at the Singapore Tennis Open 2025 (Photo: WTA / Ashok Kumar)
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The World No 14 is among the top singles and double players at the Women’s Tennis Association 250 competition, the first professional women’s tennis tournament to be held in Singapore since the WTA Finals in 2018
Anna Kalinskaya had a breakthrough year in 2024. At the start of the year, the Russian tennis star reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2024 Australian Open, before reaching a career-high ranking of World No 11 in October.
While she pulled out from the recently concluded 2025 Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, due to health issues, Kalinskaya is back in fine form and captivating tennis fans at the inaugural Singapore Tennis Open, which kicked off on January 27. The first professional women’s tennis tournament in Singapore since the WTA Finals in 2018 is also the first major competition to be held at the new Kallang Tennis Hub.
The top seed coming into the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 250 tournament, Kalinskaya won her first match against American Caroline Dolehide 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to advance to the second round.
When it comes to the victories or moments that have stood out as milestones in her career, “I think a special moment is always when you beat a top player; it’s like a boost of confidence—and I’ve had a few in my career,” the World No 14 shared, in a recorded interview on the sidelines of a players’ welcome party on January 26.
“I love to play in big stadiums; I get very excited. This is what I work for, to play on these kinds of big tournaments and big courts. And last year, this period of my life has been the best so far in my career. I want to keep improving, and I want to enjoy it, because [this] career doesn’t last forever.”
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Above This is the first time that the World No 14 is playing in Singapore (Photo: WTA / Ashok Kumar)
This is the first time that the World No 14 is playing in Singapore (Photo: WTA / Ashok Kumar)
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This is Kalinskaya’s first time playing in Singapore, and she is joined by some of the most talented female tennis players competing in singles and doubles events. They include British tennis star Emma Raducanu—the 2021 US Open champion and fan favourite suffered an early exit with a first-round defeat to Spain’s Cristina Bucsa—and doubles champions Elise Mertens and Wang Xinyu, as well as recently crowned 2025 Australian Open doubles champion, Taylor Townsend.
“I’m very happy to be here to play the first tournament of WTA in Singapore,” Kalinskaya says. “I know they had the [WTA] Finals before, but this is a different experience. People are very nice and friendly, and I feel very welcome here. I’m very excited to see the crowd since it’s my first time here. So I’m looking forward to it.”
She believes the biggest strength of her game is her ability “to read the game and, of course, staying aggressive”. She adds, “I like [playing] powerful tennis. Over the past couple of years, [I’ve worked] on improving different shots, [which has allowed me to add] more variations of shots [to my game, and making it] more challenging for other players. But the key is being aggressive and smart.”
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Above Kalinskaya advances into the second round of the Singapore Tennis Open 2025 after defeating Spain’s Cristina Bucsa (Photo: WTA / Ashok Kumar)
Kalinskaya advances into the second round of the Singapore Tennis Open 2025 after defeating Spain’s Cristina Bucsa (Photo: WTA / Ashok Kumar)
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For the 2025 season, she hopes to improve her overall game: “There are some tactical and technical and physical improvements, but I think I have to improve overall. There is always room for improvement but it’s not only one thing, it’s everything I have to improve [on]. Then the result will be even better.”
Competing at the highest level, especially in a sport like tennis, requires not only physical agility but also sharp mental acuity. On how she balances them, Kalinskaya says, “I’m trying to find my way. Hopefully, with the years of experience I had being on tour, it will get better and I will find the balance to have life outside of court a little bit more. Of course, I want to work hard and I want to keep pushing. When I’m outside of the court, I want to switch my mind so I can actually work better on the court as well.”
Kalinskaya will take on Switzerland’s Simona Waltert in the last 16 on January 29.
The week-long Singapore Tennis Open runs until February 2. The WTA 250 competition will be held here for three years until 2027. Among the annual women’s tennis tournaments on the main WTA Tour, the WTA 250 competitions are placed after the Grand Slams, the WTA Finals, the WTA 1000 and 500 events.
As Senior Editor of Tatler Singapore, Hashirin champions and refines the storytelling across platforms—curating and crafting compelling profiles, cover stories and features that spotlight visionaries shaping culture, business and impact. Driven by curiosity, she draws inspiration from the artists, changemakers and trailblazers she encounters through her work. Beyond the pages of Tatler, she is an avid supporter of local theatre and delights in seeking out art in every city she visits.
