All eyes are on Anna Kalinskaya today! This Russian WTA star has been performing well on hard courts this season. She reached the 2024 Canadian Open’s Round of 16 against USA’s Amanda Anisimova. As Kalinskaya wreaks havoc on the courts, there was once a time where she had to choose between playing tennis or another racquet sport. How did she finally decide to stick with tennis?

Kalinskaya was born in Moscow in a family of athletes. Her father Nikolay and mother Elena were professional badminton players. In fact, she has a brother who plays soccer in Russia. Kalinskaya’s mother Elena is a coach and her father works for the Russian Badminton Federation. Despite having such a close connection with badminton, this WTA star chose tennis and started playing the sport when she was 5.

In an episode of Match Point Canada, Kalinskaya delved deeper into her love for tennis. Mentioning that she played badminton and tennis together, she revealed what motivated her to choose the latter as her professional career. “Well, I played both at the same time. And of course, both sports are very difficult, and I had to pick one because I couldn’t handle both of it. So I guess I had more friends in tennis, and I was a little bit better at that time at tennis,” she said.

Kalinskaya also spoke about her supportive parents motivating her to play the sport she wanted. “And my parents, they never pushed me to play badminton, so it was an easy decision, and they supported me to just stop and play tennis. So it was clearly the right decision to make,” she said.

Her parents likely supported her tennis journey from day 1. However, they aren’t the only sporting individuals in her family. Kalinskaya’s brother, Nikolay Kalinsky, is a soccer player, who currently plays for FC Pari Nizhny Novgorod. The 30-year-old soccer player has spent the most of his youth career with FC Lokomotiv Moscow. He has even represented his country in the U-17, U-18, and U-19.

Kalinskaya inherited her athletic skills from her parents but her talented boyfriend has also helped her stay energetic for the sport. This Russian tennis player might keep the details of her romance with Sinner private but she couldn’t help but express how much Sinner inspires her tennis journey.

Anna Kalinskaya revealed her admiration for Jannik Sinner

Kalinskaya made her relationship with Sinner public in May 2024. While she didn’t spill any beans, Sinner told the media that they wanted to “keep everything very confidential.” Despite the duo seeking privacy in their romantic life, Kalinskaya couldn’t help but express love for Sinner after reaching the finals of the 2024 Halle Open.

Mentioning how Sinner inspires her, Kainskaya 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.” 

Kalinskaya’s tennis skills are inherited from her talented parents. Following her acquaintance with Sinner people expect her to perform well in the upcoming tours. Do you think Kalinskaya can win more titles in the future?