Anhelina Kalinina breaks down in tears after failing to continue against Elena Rybakina in Italian Open Final
Understandably emotional, as this was her first WTA 1000 final after so much struggle over the years.
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Anhelina Kalinina (Image via Twitter)
It’s tough for players to accept defeat. It’s even tougher when you lose because of your body not being able to cope. Injuries are the worst nightmares. Every player wishes to stay away from injuries all their career. However, it’s not that easy as sports is a physical beast and it takes you to the task.
Anhelina Kalinina had a dream run at the 2023 Italian Open. Making it to the final was an amazing achievement for the Ukrainian. This was her first WTA 1000 final. Unfortunately, due to her body not being able to cope, she had to retire mid-way through her final. Elena Rybakina won the contest 6-4 1-0 (ret.)
Kalinina came into the final on the back of three consecutive 3-set thrillers. Her body had to be sore. Madison Keys, Beatriz Haddad Maia, and Veronika Kudermetova were her three opponents, all ranked above her. With grit, she managed to win all the games. However, fell short against Rybakina. Kalinina was seen in tears as she was being treated by her physio. Unable to move freely on the court was troubling her and she just couldn’t carry on.
Understandably emotional, as this was her first WTA 1000 final after so much struggle over the years. In the video that’s going viral, one can see heartbreak on the face of the Ukrainian. She seems to be talking to her physio about the issue. She wanted to sort the issue there and then, but it wasn’t that easy. This forced her retirement mid-match, as she was awarded as the runner-up title. Nonetheless, it was a great week for the Ukrainian and she would love to draw confidence from her performances this week.
A look back at Anhelina Kalinina’s 2023 season so far
It’s been a mixed season for Anhelina Kalinina. She had a decent run at the Australian Open, followed by early exits. There came a stretch of 3 back to back first-round exits too. That unfortunate period had Miami, Charleston, and Madrid in it. So the start of the season was below par for the Ukrainian and she was determined to change that big time.
Following the three first-round exits was the Italian Open. With no one expecting anything from the Ukranian because of her past results, the pressure was off her. She took full advantage of that and scripted a dream run at the Italian Open by reaching the final. She wasn’t able to win due to physical issues as she had to retire mid-way. However, she would be proud of the week as she played three consecutive 3-set matches showing grit. She would want to draw inspiration from this performance as she moves to Paris for the French Open.
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Manan Mehta
(215 Articles Published)