What’s the secret sauce to a tennis player’s success? Skills? Definitely. Determination? Of course. But what if someone told you that injuries were the game-changer in their career? Sounds crazy, right? Yet, that’s exactly the case for Russian tennis star Anna Kalinskaya, who’s flipping the script on how we view setbacks. Kalinskaya, known for her steady rise on the WTA circuit, recently opened up about her unexpected journey. While most players would cringe at the thought of injuries, Anna sees them as a blessing in disguise.

The Russian tennis sensation wrapped up her year after facing a defeat in the quarterfinals of the Ningbo Open. Now, as she gears up for her next season, Kalinskaya is looking back at the factors that helped her attain success in 2024. In an interaction with Harper’s Bazaar, Jannik Sinner’s girlfriend deliberated on a wide range of factors including the challenges she faced due to her injuries. But interestingly, she believes that it was these injuries, that helped her introspect and make improvements. 

Speaking in the interview, Kalinskaya opened up on the hamstring injury she faced in 2023 saying, “For me, it was a bit shocking, because it was the longest injury I’d had.” Continuing further, she revealed how exactly this period of inactivity helped her professionally. “But [at the same time] I realised how much I missed tennis and how much it gives, how many emotions it gives me, how many different things in my life it brings me, like meeting new people and having your routine. It was, for me, a big realization,” she added while talking about the reasons behind her surge on the tour. 

For the unversed, Kalinskaya suffered a left hamstring injury during her third-round match against Elena Rybakina at the Italian Open in May. She failed to make a comeback for long and missed crucial tournaments like the French Open and Wimbledon, before eventually returning to the US Open in August. Citing her sorrow back then on missing the grass-court Grand Slam, the star player took to her Instagram and wrote, “Heartbreaking. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to recover from my injury and it’s taking longer than I expected… missing my favorite tournament.” But things soon changed for her and she was determined to prove her mettle in 2024. 

While the Russian could not win any title this year, she depicted immense potential. This also impacted her ranking and she made a massive surge from the 77th spot at the beginning of the year, to the 14th place as she closes her season. And now, as she gears up for the next year, she seems to have her plans ready.

Anna Kalinskaya reveals the changes she wishes to witness next year, it’s not tennis-related

Anna Kalinskaya will begin her season at the Brisbane International before finally appearing at the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne. But ahead of her campaigns, the Russian star seems to have her priorities set as she discusses the changes she wishes to witness in herself going forward.

Speaking in the same interview, Kalinskaya said, “I think [the key is to] change some things in my life — not training, but adjust a little bit my lifestyle to make it more simple, enjoy things on my off days to have a good balance. And have a better schedule to know when you can see your friends so you can be happier outside of the court. I can get recharged, so I can compete better and have more energy, and be better mentally.” This statement reflects not just her plans, but also the maturity that the competitions are giving her. 

As she gears up for an enthralling year, it will be fascinating to see how her year unfolds and if she manages to amass more accolades next year.