Alina Korneeva

Alina Korneeva
Korneeva at the 2023 French Open
Full nameAlina Aleksandrovna Korneeva
Country (sports) Russia
Born (2007-06-23) 23 June 2007 (age 17)[1]
Moscow, Russia
PlaysRight-handed
Prize money$204,345
Singles
Career record68–19
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 128 (26 February 2024)
Current rankingNo. 254 (28 October 2024)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open2R (2024)
Doubles
Career record21–11
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 261 (18 September 2023)
Current rankingNo. 315 (28 October 2024)
Last updated on: 28 October 2024.

Alina Aleksandrovna Korneeva (Russian: Алина Александровна Корнеева, born 23 June 2007) is a Russian professional tennis player. In 2023, she won two Grand Slam girls' singles titles at the Australian Open and the French Open and reached world No. 1 in the ITF junior rankings.[2][3]

Career

2021

Korneeva finished runner-up at the European Junior Championships under-14 girls singles to the Czech player Tereza Valentová.[4][5]

2022

On the ITF Junior Circuit, in 2022 Korneeva's tally of six singles titles saw her claim the most singles titles in girls’ tennis that year.[6] Korneeva won her first $15k event in Casablanca in September, defeating Laura Hietaranta in the final.[7]

2023: No. 1 junior, WTA Tour debut

Korneeva at the 2023 Junior French Open

Korneeva had success in her junior Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open, reaching the semifinals of the girls' doubles with partner Mirra Andreeva, and defeating Andreeva in three sets in the final of the girls' singles.[8] Before their final, Andreeva said, "She is a really good friend of mine, my best friend."[9] After the match, Korneeva told her on court, "It's not our last battle. We will have a lot of good matches when you will win, when I will win...it was a hard battle."[10] In the quarterfinals of the girls singles, Korneeva defeated second seed Tereza Valentová, who 18 months prior, had defeated Korneeva in the under-14 girls singles final at the European Junior Championships.[11]

In March, Korneeva qualified for the main draw and won the $60k event in Pretoria, defeating Tímea Babos in the final, in straight sets. At age 15 years, eight months and 18 days, Korneeva became the fifth youngest player in history to win an ITF tournament at $60k level or above.[12]

On 1 May, Korneeva reached No. 1 in the ITF junior world rankings.[citation needed]

In June, she won her second junior Grand Slam title, defeating Lucciana Pérez Alarcón in the final of the French Open girls' singles in straight sets, becoming the first player since Magdalena Maleeva in 1990 to win the first two Grand Slam events in girls' singles in the same year.[13] Together with Sara Saito, Korneeva also reached the final of the girls' doubles, losing to Tyra Caterina Grant and Iva Jovic.[14]

In July, Korneeva qualified for the main draw and won the $100k Figueira da Foz Open, defeating French player Carole Monnet 6–0, 6–0, and becoming the youngest player to win a W100 title.[15] Together with Anastasia Tikhonova, she also reached the final of the same event in doubles.[citation needed]

In October, she qualified for the Hong Kong Open making her WTA Tour debut, and defeated compatriot Valeria Savinykh for her first WTA Tour win.[16] She lost to Linda Fruhvirtová in the second round.[17]

On 22 October, Korneeva won the 2023 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals, defeating Sara Saito in the final.[18]

2024: Major debut and first win, WTA Tour doubles final

In the last round of qualifying at the Australian Open, Korneeva defeated Anna Bondár in straight sets to qualify for the main draw, making her major debut.[19] She defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo in the first round,[20] before losing in the second round to tenth-seed Beatriz Haddad Maia.[21]

At the Jasmin Open, Korneeva reached her first career final in doubles, partnering Anastasia Zakharova. They lost to Anna Blinkova and Mayar Sherif, in three sets.[22]

Partnering Polina Kudermetova, she was runner-up in the doubles at the WTA 125 Abierto Tampico, losing to Carmen Corley and Rebecca Marino in the final.[23]

Korneeva reached her first WTA Tour singles semifinal at the Mérida Open with wins over Alycia Parks,[24] fifth seed Anna Blinkova[25] and Sara Sorribes Tormo.[26]

Personal life

Born in Moscow,[27] Korneeva has been nicknamed the "mini Sharapova" in some quarters.[28] Her father, Aleksandr Korneev, is a former volleyball player who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Korneeva currently trains in Moscow.[29]

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

WTA Tour finals

Doubles: 1 (1 runner-up)

Legend
Grand Slam (0–0)
WTA 1000 (0–0)
WTA 500 (0–0)
WTA 250 (0–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (0–1)
Clay (0–0)
Grass (0–0)
Finals by setting
Outdoor (0–1)
Indoor (0–0)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 0–1 Sep 2024 Jasmin Open,
Tunisia
WTA 250 Hard Anastasia Zakharova Anna Blinkova
Egypt Mayar Sherif
6–2, 1–6, [8–10]

ITF Circuit finals

Singles: 5 (4 titles, 1 runner-up)

Legend
$100,000 tournaments
$80,000 tournaments
$60,000 tournaments
$15,000 tournaments
Finals by surface
Hard (3–1)
Clay (1–0)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Win 1–0 Sep 2022 ITF Casablanca, Morocco 15,000 Clay Finland Laura Hietaranta 7–5, 6–4
Win 2–0 Mar 2023 ITF Pretoria, South Africa 60,000 Hard Hungary Tímea Babos 6–3, 7–6(7–3)
Win 3–0 Jul 2023 Figueira da Foz Open, Portugal 100,000 Hard France Carole Monnet 6–0, 6–0
Loss 3–1 Sep 2023 ITF Le Neubourg, France 80,000 Hard Switzerland Céline Naef 6–4, 2–6, 6–7(7)
Win 4–1 Sep 2024 Caldas da Rainha Open, Portugal W100 Hard Anastasia Zakharova 6–1, 6–4

Doubles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)

Legend
$100,000 tournaments
$80,000 tournaments
$25,000 tournaments
Finals by surface
Hard (2–1)
Clay (0–0)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1–0 Nov 2022 ITF Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 25,000 Hard Polina Iatcenko Switzerland Jenny Dürst
South Korea Park So-hyun
6–1, 6–7(1–7), [10–5]
Loss 1–1 Jul 2023 Figueira da Foz Open, Portugal 100,000 Hard Russia Anastasia Tikhonova Hong Kong Eudice Chong
Netherlands Arianne Hartono
3–6, 2–6
Win 2–1 Sep 2023 ITF Le Neubourg, France 80,000 Hard France Fiona Ferro Ukraine Maryna Kolb
Ukraine Nadiya Kolb
7–6(9–7), 7–5

Junior Grand Slam finals

Singles: 2 (2 titles)

Result Year Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Win 2023 Australian Open Hard Mirra Andreeva 6–7(2–7), 6–4, 7–5
Win 2023 French Open Clay Peru Lucciana Pérez Alarcón 7–6(7–4), 6–3

Doubles: 1 (1 runner-up)

Result Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 2023 French Open Clay Japan Sara Saito United States Tyra Caterina Grant
United States Clervie Ngounoue
3–6, 2–6

References

  1. ^ "Alina Korneeva". Tennislive.net.
  2. ^ "Alina Korneeva". ITFTennis.
  3. ^ "Alina Korneeva". WTA Tennis.
  4. ^ "2021 European Junior Championships". Tenniseurope.org.
  5. ^ "Алина Корнеева и Диана Шнайдер – серебряные призеры Первенств Европы". tennis-russia.ru.
  6. ^ "RECORDS SMASHED: 2022 ITF WORLD TENNIS TOUR JUNIORS IN NUMBERS". ITF Tennis.
  7. ^ "W15 Casablanca". ITFTennis.com.
  8. ^ "Korneeva wins marathon". AUSOpen.com.
  9. ^ "SIX WATERMELONS': ANDREEVA'S DAILY ROUTINE DELIVERS AO GIRLS' FINAL". ITF Tennis.
  10. ^ "Tears everywhere as Alina Korneeva wins epic Australian Open girls' final over close friend Mirra Andreeva". 7news.com.au. 28 January 2023.
  11. ^ "KORNEEVA LOOKING RIGHT AT HOME IN FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA". ITF Tennis.
  12. ^ "KORNEEVA, 15, BURSTS ON TO PRO SCENE WITH W60 PRETORIA TRIUMPH". ITF tennis. 20 March 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  13. ^ "Korneeva wins French Open junior title; second Grand Slam title in a row". wtatennis.com. 10 June 2023.
  14. ^ "2023 Roland Garros: Americans Tyra Grant, Clervie Ngounoue win girls' doubles title". United States Tennis Association. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  15. ^ McLean, Ross (31 July 2023). "Korneeva, 16, becomes youngest player in history to claim a W100 title". www.itftennis.com. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  16. ^ "Former junior No.1 Korneeva, 16, victorious on WTA debut in Hong Kong". Women's Tennis Association.
  17. ^ "Hong Kong Open: Qualifier Korneeva out". Tennis Majors. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Korneeva and Schwärzler prevail at ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals". Inside the Games. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  19. ^ "Aussie Open 2024's Slam debuts: Korneeva, Seidel, Starodubtseva and more". Women's Tennis Association.
  20. ^ "Australian Open: 16-year-old Korneeva beats Sorribes Tormo to score first Grand Slam win". Tennis Majors. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Day 4 women's wrap: New court, no worries for Haddad Maia". Australian Open. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  22. ^ "British qualifier Kartal charges to first WTA singles title in Monastir". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Canadian teen Stakusic wins first career WTA 125 title in Tampico". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  24. ^ "Mérida Open: Korneeva reaches second round". Tennis Majors. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  25. ^ "Former junior No.1 Korneeva, 17, reaches first WTA quarterfinal in Merida". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  26. ^ "Korneeva posts second win of the day in Merida; reaches first WTA semifinal". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  27. ^ "KORNEEVA: I LIKE THE ATTENTION FROM BACK-TO-BACK GRAND SLAM TITLES". itftennis.com.
  28. ^ "Korneeva, la "mini Sharapova" in finale junior: sfida senza bandiere contro Andreeva". Tiscali.it. 27 January 2023.
  29. ^ "Корнеева — о Уимблдоне: «Ни разу в жизни не играла на траве, будет отличный опыт»" [Korneeva about Wimbledon: I've never played on grass in my whole life, it's going to be a great experience]. sport-express.ru (in Russian). Moscow: Sport Express. 18 June 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.