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Anna Kalinskaya gave tennis fans plenty to talk about during the 2026 US Open, producing one of the most memorable stretches of her Grand Slam campaign in New York.
The Russian arrived at Flushing Meadows as the No. 21 seed and quickly showed that she was ready for the challenge. After progressing through the opening rounds, Kalinskaya found herself facing a major test against ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina.
What happened next became one of the biggest moments of her tournament.
Kalinskaya battled past Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 in a dramatic third-round contest. The victory was particularly significant because it sent her into the second week of the US Open for the first time. It also meant she had reached the second week at all four Grand Slam tournaments during her career.
That achievement highlighted the consistency and determination that have become important parts of Kalinskaya’s tennis story.
The victory over Svitolina was not straightforward. After taking the opening set, Kalinskaya dropped the second before recovering in the deciding set. She held her nerve when the match became increasingly tense and eventually secured the win.
The reward was a fourth-round meeting with American Emma Navarro.
The match against Navarro provided another major test. Navarro won 6-4, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals, ending Kalinskaya’s singles run in New York. Even so, Kalinskaya’s performance had already created a significant moment in her 2026 season.
Her US Open campaign also demonstrated why she remains a player capable of challenging highly ranked opponents. Earlier in the tournament, she had already overcome Wang Xinyu and Anna Blinkova, before producing the statement victory against Svitolina.
Kalinskaya’s progress is especially interesting because she has previously reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 11. She entered the US Open ranked No. 21, showing that she remains firmly established among the world’s leading players.
For fans, her journey in New York was about more than one result. It was about resilience, opportunity and the ability to make an impact on one of tennis’s biggest stages.
Although her 2026 US Open campaign ended in the fourth round, Kalinskaya left New York with another important Grand Slam milestone and plenty of momentum to build on.
And with the tennis season continuing, the big question is simple: what will Anna Kalinskaya do next?
If you have been following her journey, this is certainly a player worth keeping an eye on.
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Musa
