Anna Kalinskaya is in a tough place. The No. 13 seed announced her withdrawal from the Australian Open, mere minutes before her match against Kimberly Birrell. While fans were shocked, no one was more rattled than her opponent, Birrell. After her 6-2, 6-2 loss to Eva Lys, she was in tears. She was blown away in 70 minutes.

“To find out that she withdrew and that I was playing someone completely different, it did rattle me unfortunately,” Birrell said later. “It felt like it just got away from me. Beforehand my nerves elevated quite a bit, then when you’ve got the nerves going, your tendency is to do the opposite of what you need to, and you just rush.” It seems Kalinskaya’s withdrawal had a massive impact on her.

While no reason for the Russian pulling out was officially shared, FOX Sports speculated it could have been because of an injury. This marks her second tournament impacted by health issues, following her exit from the Adelaide International a week ago. Fans are understandably upset!

After the announcement, ‘The Tennis Letter’ tweeted their well wishes for Kalinskaya: “Anna Kalinskaya has withdrawn from the Australian Open. Sad to see this in the first Slam of the year. She reached her first Grand Slam Quarterfinal here last year and went on to have her career best season. Hopefully, we see her back on the court soon. 🙏 ❤️”

In a previous WTA Instagram post, players were asked who they thought would reach their first Grand Slam final this year. With refreshing honesty, Kalinskaya replied, “Hopefully, it’s me.” Despite her ambitions for a breakout year, the Russian star—who ended last season ranked No. 14 after an impressive quarterfinal run at last year’s Australian Open—now faces uncertainty.

On January 7, Kalinskaya faced Belinda Bencic in the Adelaide International’s first round, looking to bounce back from a straight-sets loss in Brisbane. Unfortunately, she withdrew mid-match due to suspected heatstroke and an unconfirmed injury while trailing 2-6, 0-1. Throughout the contest, she struggled to find her rhythm as Bencic dominated the play.

With Kalinskaya’s withdrawal from the Australian Open just a week later, fans are expressing their concerns and frustrations on social media about her current situation. What did they say?

Fans drop their brutal take on Anna Kalinskaya’s withdrawal from the Australian Open!

Anna Kalinskaya’s 2024 season was a year of breakthroughs that saw her rise from world No. 77 to just outside the top 10. However, one user couldn’t help but notice a troubling pattern in her career. They wrote:

• “Always injured, what a waste of a career.”
• “Glass body strikes again. Anna retires and withdraws so often from matches, she should be classified as a casual player now. A shame, I watched a few matches and like her on court.”

As a matter of fact, in 2024, Kalinskaya faced multiple injuries, including a wrist injury that forced her to retire during her fourth-round match at Wimbledon against Elena Rybakina.

Similarly, she also withdrew from her Last 16 clash with Maria Sakkari at the 2024 Miami Open after citing poor health as the reason. “I’m so sorry, I was really looking forward to playing today,” Kalinskaya had issued a statement. “But unfortunately, my health doesn’t allow me. Thank you for your support.” It turned out to be a leg/hip injury.

• “Kalinskaya is always injured or dealing with something. Her body looks sucks. She’ll be top 30 by the end of the year.”

In 2023, she suffered a left hamstring injury at the Italian Open, which led to her missing the French Open, and later withdrew from the Canadian Open due to another injury while playing Amanda Anisimova. Despite reaching a career-high ranking of No. 11 in October 2024, she sits at No. 16 as of January 13. Some fans speculated about the reasons behind her injuries.

• “Her problems started right after relationship with toxic carrot boy.”

A fan even suggested that her relationship with ATP’s World No. 1 Jannik Sinner may be affecting her performance. In October 2024, Sinner made a bold claim that he ‘cannot afford to change’ and noted that his relationship with Kalinskaya has had no impact on his career. Since then, the two have been rumored to be facing challenges in their relationship after unfollowing each other on social media.

Given Kalinskaya’s history of injury woes, another user proclaimed they saw this coming:

• “I could predict this yesterday only!! Australian heat is too much for her.”

While she hasn’t openly discussed her struggles with the heat in Melbourne—where temperatures can soar to 30 degrees Celsius (86°F) during the summer months of January and February—it’s noteworthy that players often experience fatigue and heatstroke during intense matches.

As the Australian Open continues without Kalinskaya’s presence, fans are left wondering if she will make a comeback in her next tournament and surpass expectations. Share your thoughts in the comments below!