Anna Kalinskaya is quickly becoming the name on everyone’s lips in the tennis world. The Russian starlet has been on a meteoric rise, dazzling fans and experts alike with her exceptional skills and quick ascension in the WTA rankings. Her performances are turning heads, and it seems like the sky’s the limit for this rising star. Even former pro Andy Roddick couldn’t resist weighing in. And true to form, Roddick’s praise for Kalinskaya came with a playful twist. He’s clearly impressed with her game, but his compliment came with that signature tongue-in-cheek flair that reminds everyone he’s still got a sense of humor.

Roddick participated in the latest episode of Served with Andy Roddick which was aired on August 13. He was joined by Jon Wertheim as the duo deliberated on a lot of aspects, including the Cincinnati Masters campaign and the future of tennis stars. In the podcast, Roddick could be heard singing praises for Kalinskaya for her impeccable skills and talent, but did not fail to highlight her relationship with Jannik Sinner. 

Speaking in the podcast, the 41-year-old said, “Kalniskaya, otherwise known as Mrs. Sinner – not yet, can hit the ball really big and it’s finally finding confidence.” Interestingly, Kalinskaya’s latest runs have been marred by injuries. While she retired against Elena Rybakina in the fourth round of Wimbledon following a wrist injury, similar scenes unfolded in the Canadian Open. But the 2003 US Open winner has complete faith in the Russian’s skills. 

“I always look for those players who have been on tour but then they actually start finding the court with more frequency,” Roddick said further. Kalinskaya reached a career-high ranking of 15 as per the live WTA rankings. Roddick’s remarks surrounding her and Sinner come at a very crucial time. For the unversed, the tennis community has been resonating with the rumors of the breakup between Kalinskaya and Sinner. Recently, the internet resonated with the fact that the WTA star briefly unfollowed her beau on Instagram.

Kalinskaya has a whopping 357,000 followers on Instagram and follows 211 people in return. Most of the people Kalinskaya follows are celebrities and fellow tennis players from the WTA and ATP circuits. Among the male tennis players the Russian star follows on Instagram are Australians Alex de Minaur and Matty Reidy, Swiss Roger Federer, Serbian Novak Djokovic, and American JC Aragone. But soon after the rumors started taking rounds, Kalinskaya reversed her decision.

However, Sinner has continued to ensure that Kalinskaya remains on the list of the 98 people that he is following. Despite the rumors, the tennis power couple has ensured to keep their love intact on and off the courts.

Kalinskaya and Sinner’s endless admiration for each other

The Italian dynamo confirmed his relationship with Kalinskaya in May this year. Since then, they have captured headlines for the adorable moments they shared. Sinner was very close to glory at the French Open this year. But after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals, he received unwavering support from his girlfriend, with social media serving as the perfect medium. 

After the match, Sinner took to Instagram, expressing gratitude for an overall good tournament and determination to keep pushing forward. In a heartwarming moment, Kalinskaya stood by his side even after the defeat and commented, “Proud 🥹,” on his post. To this, Sinner affectionately replied with emojis, “🥹😘.” Kalinskaya has also expressed her high regard for Sinner in the past.

Mentioning how Sinner inspires her, Kalinskaya said, “I’m just trying to be a little bit as good as Jannik.” She further gleefully said, “He has an amazing year, I’m gonna text him now, I’m so happy.” 

As the season progresses, it would be interesting to see how the support that they offer to each other help them rise further in their individual careers.