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yOlympics, Roland-Garros, Russia: 10 questions about Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova – updated after Russia sanctions
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won the Olympic mixed doubles gold medal and reached her first Grand Slam singles final at Roland-Garros 2021. Here are answers to some common questions you may have about the Russian tennis player
AI / Reuters / Panoramic
Who is Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova?
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is a Russian tennis player. She was born on July 3, 1991 in Samara, Russia and reached her first Grand Slam singles final at Roland-Garros in 2021.
What is Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
Anastasia Pavyluchenkova has been outspoken in her criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling for an end to the war and saying she is “against war and violence”.
Pavlyuchenkova has spoken out about the war on television, too.
Can Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova continue to play on the WTA Tour and at Grand Slam events?
Yes, she can continue to compete in individual events on the WTA Tour but she will not be allowed to play under the Russian flag, as part of a list of sanctions issued by the WTA Tour on March 1. Russia and Belarus will also be banned from all team events, including the Billie Jean King Cup.
What did Pavlyuchenkova accomplish at the Tokyo Olympics?
Pavlyuchenkova partnered with Andrey Rublev to win the mixed doubles gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. In singles, she reached the quarter-finals losing to eventual gold medalist Belinda Bencic.
How did Pavlyuchenkova make news at Roland-Garros 2021?
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova reached her first Grand Slam final at Roland-Garros in 2021 in her 52nd appearance in the main draw at a Major, although she lost there to Barbora Krejcikova. The Russian became the first woman to play more than 50 majors before reaching her first Slam final.
She made her Grand Slam debut when she was just 15 years old at Wimbledon 2007 (first round loss to Daniela Hantuchova). The previous record was held by Italy’s Roberta Vinci, who reached the final at the 2015 US Open in her 44th Grand Slam main draw.
Prior to this fortnight, Pavlyuchenkova had reached the quarter-finals of all the four Grand Slam events.
How tall is Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova?
The Russian is 5ft 10in (1.77m) tall, according to her profile on the official WTA website.
Who is Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova‘s coach?
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is currently working with her brother Aleksandr Pavlyuchenkov. She split from Frenchman Sam Samuyk in April 2020.
When asked about her strong run in Paris and working with her brother after her win over Victoria Azarenka in the fourth round, the Russian said, “Yes, I have been putting a lot of work in, and I really wanted the results so badly, since the clay court season started, but I didn’t expect that it would come sort of so quick, because I have already had right away the good run in Madrid and now it’s here, you know, my best result so far at a Grand Slam. Definitely everything helps, for sure. And also my brother, even now we were talking a bit, he teaches me how to play smarter, to read the game, which I actually sometimes don’t read the game well. So that also helps, of course.”
Who are her parents?
The Russian comes from a very sporty family. Her father, Sergey, was a professional canoeist and her mother, Marina, was a swimmer. Her grandmother played basketball for the former USSR and her grandfather was a professional basketball referee. Anastasia began playing tennis aged six.
When did Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova turn professional?
Pavlyuchenkova dominated the junior circuit after winning two Australian Open junior titles, one US Open and becoming the junior world No 1. She began her professional career in 2006 at the age of 15. That year, she played her first match on the main tour, in Moscow, losing to world No 11 Nicole Vaidisova. Pavlyuchenkova won her her first WTA tour match in April 2008, in Rabat, Marocco, against Fatima El Allami.
What is her career-best win?
The Russian’s best win was her victory in the final in Monterrey in April 2017, when she beat the then-world No 1 Angelique Kerber. “Beating the world No 1 is incredible,” she said.
What is Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova‘s highest ranking?
Her highest ranking has been No 11, which she first achieved in November 2021. The Russian was ranked No 32 heading into the 2021 Roland-Garros event and returned to the Top 20 afterwards.
How many titles has Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova won?
The Russian has won 12 titles in her career, including four in Monterrey (2010, 2011, 2013, 2017), Mexico. She has also won five doubles titles, including the prestigious tournament in Madrid in 2013 with the Czech Lucie Safarova.
How much money has she earned in her career?
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has earned more than $12.2 million since making her debut as a professional.
Is Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova active on social media?
Yes, the Russian is on social media. She is active on Instagram, where she has more than 142,000 followers, as of early March 2022. Pavlyuchenkova is also present on Twitter, where she has 121,000 followers!
