Anna Kalinskaya gave tennis fans plenty to talk about at the 2026 US Open, producing one of the most notable runs of her season before her campaign eventually came to an end against Emma Navarro.

The Russian arrived in New York as the No. 21 seed, but her own expectations were relatively modest after a difficult hard-court season. What followed, however, was a reminder of the quality and resilience that have helped her establish herself among the WTA Tour’s leading players.

Kalinskaya opened her US Open campaign with a straight-sets victory over Anna Blinkova, winning 6-4, 6-3. She then battled past Xinyu Wang in three sets before facing a much bigger challenge in the third round.

Waiting for her was former world No. 3 Elina Svitolina.

The match delivered the drama expected from two experienced competitors. Kalinskaya eventually prevailed 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, producing the decisive performance she needed in the final set. The victory was particularly significant because it ended her previous struggles in the third round at the US Open.

More importantly, the victory sent Kalinskaya into the second week of the tournament for the first time in New York. It also completed an impressive Grand Slam milestone: she had now reached the second week at all four major tournaments.

“I finally won a third-round match here,” Kalinskaya said after the Svitolina victory, reflecting on her previous experiences at Flushing Meadows.

Her reward was a fourth-round meeting with Emma Navarro.

Navarro entered the contest with confidence and produced a composed performance on Arthur Ashe Stadium. After taking the opening set 6-4, she controlled much of the second set and closed out a 6-2 victory.

For Kalinskaya, the result ended a memorable US Open campaign. Although she did not advance to the quarterfinals, reaching the fourth round represented an important step in her Grand Slam story.

The numbers also showed how competitive the match was in stretches, with Kalinskaya producing 17 winners. However, she finished with 32 unforced errors and struggled to convert opportunities against Navarro.

Still, the bigger picture remains significant.

Kalinskaya has continued to establish herself as a dangerous opponent on the biggest stages. Her run in New York demonstrated that when her game clicks, she can challenge highly experienced players and create major moments.

With the 2026 season continuing, tennis fans will be watching closely to see whether this US Open breakthrough becomes the foundation for another strong chapter in her career.