Tennis in Russia

Tennis is one of the most popular sports in Eastern Europe. The rich careers of excellent players from every region have left an everlasting impression, and Russia is no exception. The main Russian National Tennis Centre (established in September 2009 in Moscow) is named after Juan Antonio Samaranch.

Tennis is introduced to Russia


Arthur Davydovich McPherson or Macpherson (1870–1920), a native of St. Petersburg, was the founder and president of the first All-Russian Union of Lawn Tennis Clubs, the forerunner of today's Russian Tennis Federation. In 1903 he organized the first St. Petersburg tennis championship, and four years later he set up the first national tournament. By 1913, the Russian championship was on the international tour and the game was thriving. McPherson also helped establish the country's first Olympic Committee. Following the 1917 Revolutions, two in a year – February and October – he was imprisoned and died from typhus in one of Moscow prisons.

After his father's death in January 1920, Arthur Macpherson Jr. (1896—1976, Артур Артурович Макферсон) could reach his career-best quarterfinals at the 1920 Wimbledon Championships, his first GS event and also the first GS event for any Russia-related or ex-Russian tennis player. While the generation of Russian, Russia-related and ex-Russian tennis pioneers, e. g. Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston (1893—1970) or his mixed doubles partner Nadezhda Martynova-Danilevskaya (1887—1969) were still alive and active, mostly in the immigration (including the ex-Russian Embassy from the Chatham House building, London), none of the other local sportspeople could think about being welcomed by the international sport community.

Under the USSR
During the Soviet era, tennis was on the edge of survival due to its lack of appearance in the Olympic games, cost, and strong association with the Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov royal dynasty. From 1974 to 1984, Soviet tennis players had been forced by the Tennis Federation of the USSR to boycott all the international competitions, except for the Davis Cup, in an unsuccessful attempt of the regime to influence apartheid in South Africa. In addition, local men's tennis players were seriously bullied by the other Soviet sportspeople for competing in a 'girlie' sport.
 * Currently available:
 * The most common "Russophobia" term usually includes the centuries-long "existential hatred or fear towards [Russians]" as one: e. g. At a certain point, about 80 percent of tennis coaches in the USSR were women.
 * Currently available:
 * The most common "Russophobia" term usually includes the centuries-long "existential hatred or fear towards [Russians]" as one: e. g. At a certain point, about 80 percent of tennis coaches in the USSR were women.
 * The most common "Russophobia" term usually includes the centuries-long "existential hatred or fear towards [Russians]" as one: e. g. At a certain point, about 80 percent of tennis coaches in the USSR were women.
 * The most common "Russophobia" term usually includes the centuries-long "existential hatred or fear towards [Russians]" as one: e. g. At a certain point, about 80 percent of tennis coaches in the USSR were women.
 * The most common "Russophobia" term usually includes the centuries-long "existential hatred or fear towards [Russians]" as one: e. g. At a certain point, about 80 percent of tennis coaches in the USSR were women.

In 1976, The New York Times reported that there were no tennis clubs in the USSR.

Usually, when under the Soviets, all the undisputedly negative things in the USSR (famine, corruption, nepotism, poverty, and facial hair that can contribute to the increased intra-specific aggression, etc.) had been criticized domestically as the "leftovers from the Tsarist regime" (пережитки царского режима). Internationally, the term "regime" (режим, meaning strongly associated with imprisonment for all the people of Russia being in opposition to the chairperson) has never been closer to be excluded from any Russia-related narrative (meaning the ex-USSR) than in the "wild 1990s".

  
 * Men's singles player(s) who could win at least one ATP Tour-level tournament on Grass Leaves Ornament Green Right.svg grass
 * A. Metreveli — 8:
 * 3x Adelaide🇦🇺 AUS // South Australia / ≈ ATP-250,
 * 2x Beckenham🇬🇧 GBR // Kent, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England / ≈ ATP-250,
 * Melbourne🇦🇺 AUS // Victoria / ≈ ATP-250,
 * Sydney🇦🇺 AUS // New South Wales / ≈ ATP-250,
 * South Orange🇺🇸 USA // New Jersey / ≈ ATP-250.
 * Men's singles player(s) who could win at least one ATP Tour-level tournament on Clay court schema-blank.svg clay:
 * A. Chesnokov — 4:
 * Monte CarloMON / ATP-1000,
 * Florence🇮🇹 ITA // Tuscany / ATP-250,
 * Nice🇫🇷 FRA // Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur / ATP-250,
 * Munich🇩🇪 GER // Bavaria / ATP-250.


 * Women's singles player(s) who could win at least one WTA Tour-level tournament on Grass Leaves Ornament Green Right.svg grass:
 * O. Morozova — 4:
 * Mahwah🇺🇸 USA // New Jersey / ≈ WTA-250,
 * London🇬🇧 GBR // London, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England / ≈ WTA-250,
 * Adelaide🇦🇺 AUS // South Australia / ≈ WTA-250,
 * Beckenham🇬🇧 GBR // Kent, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England / ≈ WTA-250.
 * Women's singles player(s) who could win at least one WTA Tour-level tournament on Clay court schema-blank.svg clay:
 * O. Morozova — 1:
 * Buenos Aires🇦🇷 ARG // Buenos Aires Province / ≈ WTA-250.

Post USSR
Since the end of the Soviet era, tennis has grown in popularity and Russia has produced many famous tennis players. In recent years, the number of top Russian women players has been considerable, with both Maria Sharapova and Dinara Safina reaching number one in the WTA rankings. Other Russian women to achieve international success include Anna Chakvetadze, Elena Dementieva, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Anastasia Myskina, Nadia Petrova, Vera Zvonareva and Anna Kournikova. The Russian Federation has won the Fed Cup 4 times, in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008.

At the Beijing 2008 Olympic Tennis Event, Russia swept the women's tennis podium with Elena Dementieva winning the gold, Dinara Safina and Vera Zvonareva the silver and bronze, respectively. As of 5 October 2009, four Russian women were ranked in the WTA tour's top 10.

Russia also boasts three former number 1 men's players—Safina's older brother Marat Safin, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Daniil Medvedev. Russian men currently in the top 10 include Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, the former of whom was a finalist at the 2019 US Open, 2021 Australian Open, 2022 Australian Open. He won the 2021 US Open. Medvedev had briefly reached the number 1 ranking in February 2022, before being overtaken by Novak Djokovic. He reclaimed his first spot again in June 2022. Medvedev was the first player to reach number 1 without being a member of the 'Big Four'; Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal, since February 2004.

Nevertheless, by the majority of their projected target audience, every successful women's (and — to a lesser extent — men's) tennis player from Russia is generally expected to obtain a dual citizenship or to switch to the foreign (Free World's) one sooner or later — to follow the footsteps of Anna Kournikova: she had become an American citizen in 2010, almost 7 years after her retirement in 2003.

Surface-related statistics
 

Last updated after the 2021 Mallorca Championships.  Last updated after the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open.
 * Men's singles players who could win at least one ATP Tour-level tournament on Grass Leaves Ornament Green Right.svg grass (active players in bold):
 * 1) Y. Kafelnikov — 3 (Halle🇩🇪 GER // Saxony-Anhalt / ATP-250);
 * 2) D. Tursunov — 2 (Eastbourne🇬🇧 GBR // East Sussex, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England / ATP-250 & 's-HertogenboschNED // North Brabant / ATP-250);
 * 3) D. Medvedev — 1 (Mallorca🇪🇸 ESP // Balearic Islands / ATP-250).
 * Men's singles players who could win at least one ATP Tour-level tournament on Clay court schema-blank.svg clay (active players in bold):
 * 1) N. Davydenko — 10 (Hamburg🇩🇪 GER // Hamburg / ATP-500, 3x Pörtschach 🇦🇹 AUT // Carinthia / ATP-250, 2x Munich🇩🇪 GER // Bavaria / ATP-250, UmagCRO // Istria County / ATP-250, EstorilPOR // Lisbon / ATP-250, Sopot🇵🇱 POL // Pomeranian Voivodeship / ATP-250 & Warsaw🇵🇱 POL // Masovian Voivodeship / ATP-250);
 * 2) A. Rublev — 6 (Monte CarloMON / ATP-1000, MadridSPA // Madrid / ATP-1000, Hamburg🇩🇪 GER // Hamburg / ATP-500, UmagCRO // Istria County / ATP-250, Belgrade🇷🇸 SRB // Belgrade / ATP-250 & Båstad🇸🇪 SWE //  Scania / ATP-250);
 * 3) Y. Kafelnikov — 3 (French Open🇫🇷 FRA // Paris,  Île-de-France / GS-2000, GstaadSWI // Berne / ATP-250 & Prague🇨🇿 CZE // Prague / ATP-250);
 * 4) M. Youzhny — 3 (Stuttgart🇩🇪 GER // Baden-Württemberg / ATP-250, Munich🇩🇪 GER // Bavaria / ATP-250 & GstaadSWI // Berne / ATP-250);
 * 5) M. Safin — 2 (BarcelonaSPA // Catalonia / ATP-500 & MallorcaSPA // Balearic Islands / ATP-250);
 * 6) I. Andreev — 2 (ValenciaSPA // Valencia / ATP-250 & Palermo🇮🇹 ITA // Sicily / ATP-250);
 * 7) D. Medvedev — 1 (Rome🇮🇹 ITA // Lazio / ATP-1000).

  Last updated after the 2024 Bad Homburg Open.  Last updated after the 2024 Budapest Grand Prix.
 * Women's singles players who could win at least one WTA Tour-level tournament on Grass Leaves Ornament Green Right.svg grass (active players in bold):
 * 1) M. Sharapova — 3 (Wimbledon🇬🇧 GBR // London, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England / GS-2000 & 2x Birmingham🇬🇧 GBR // West Midlands, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England / WTA-250);
 * 2) L. Samsonova — 2 (Berlin🇩🇪 GER // Berlin / WTA-500 & 's-HertogenboschNED // North Brabant / WTA-250);
 * 3) E. Alexandrova — 2 ('s-HertogenboschNED // North Brabant / WTA-250);
 * 4) S. Kuznetsova — 1 (Eastbourne🇬🇧 GBR // East Sussex, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England / WTA-500);
 * 5) E. Makarova — 1 (Eastbourne🇬🇧 GBR // East Sussex, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England / WTA-500);
 * 6) E. Vesnina — 1 (Eastbourne🇬🇧 GBR // East Sussex, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England / WTA-500);
 * 7) D. Kasatkina — 1 (Eastbourne🇬🇧 GBR // East Sussex, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England / WTA-500);
 * 8) D. Shnaider — 1 (Bad Homburg🇩🇪 GER // Hesse / WTA-500);
 * 9) V. Zvonareva — 1 (Birmingham🇬🇧 GBR // West Midlands, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England / WTA-250);
 * 10) A. Chakvetadze — 1 ('s-HertogenboschNED // North Brabant / WTA-250);
 * 11) N. Petrova — 1 ('s-HertogenboschNED // North Brabant / WTA-250).
 * Women's singles players who could win at least one WTA Tour-level tournament on Clay court schema-blank.svg clay (active players in bold):
 * 1) M. Sharapova — 11 (2x French Open🇫🇷 FRA // Paris,  Île-de-France / GS-2000, 3x Rome🇮🇹 ITA // Lazio / WTA-1000, MadridSPA // Madrid  / WTA-1000, 3x Stuttgart🇩🇪 GER // Baden-Württemberg / WTA-500, Amelia Island🇺🇸 USA // Florida / WTA-500 & Strasbourg🇫🇷 FRA // Grand Est / WTA-250);
 * 2) D. Safina — 6 (Berlin🇩🇪 GER // Berlin / WTA-1000, Rome🇮🇹 ITA // Lazio / WTA-1000, MadridSPA // Madrid / WTA-1000, Warsaw🇵🇱 POL // Masovian Voivodeship / WTA-250, Palermo🇮🇹 ITA // Sicily / WTA-250 & Prague🇨🇿 CZE // Prague / WTA-250);
 * 3) S. Kuznetsova — 3 (French Open🇫🇷 FRA // Paris,  Île-de-France / GS-2000, Stuttgart🇩🇪 GER // Baden-Württemberg / WTA-500 & Stockholm🇸🇪 SWE // Stockholm / WTA-250);
 * 4) A. Myskina — 3 (French Open🇫🇷 FRA // Paris,  Île-de-France / GS-2000, Palermo🇮🇹 ITA // Sicily / WTA-250 & Sarasota🇺🇸 USA // Florida / WTA-250);
 * 5) N. Petrova — 3 (Charleston🇺🇸 USA // South Carolina / WTA-1000, Berlin🇩🇪 GER // Berlin / WTA-1000 & Amelia Island🇺🇸 USA // Florida / WTA-500);
 * 6) A. Pavlyuchenkova — 3 (EstorilPOR // Lisbon / WTA-250, Rabat🇲🇦 MAR / WTA-250 & Strasbourg🇫🇷 FRA // Grand Est / WTA-250);
 * 7) E. Dementieva — 2 (Amelia Island🇺🇸 USA // Florida / WTA-500 & İstanbul🇹🇷 TUR / WTA-250);
 * 8) M. Kirilenko — 2 (EstorilPOR // Lisbon / WTA-250 & BarcelonaSPA // Catalonia / WTA-250);
 * 9) V. Zvonareva — 2 (BolCRO // Split-Dalmatia / WTA-250 & Prague🇨🇿 CZE // Prague / WTA-250);
 * 10) D. Kasatkina — 1 (Charleston🇺🇸 USA // South Carolina / WTA-500);
 * 11) V. Kudermetova — 1 (Charleston🇺🇸 USA // South Carolina / WTA-500);
 * 12) E. Bovina — 1 (Warsaw🇵🇱 POL // Masovian Voivodeship / WTA-250);
 * 13) A. Potapova — 1 (İstanbul🇹🇷 TUR // Marmara Region / WTA-250);
 * 14) M. Timofeeva — 1 (Budapest🇭🇺 HUN // Budapest, Central Hungary / WTA-250);
 * 15) D. Shnaider — 1 (Budapest🇭🇺 HUN // Budapest, Central Hungary / WTA-250).

Junior GS singles finalists by year

 * Local Boys' titles


 * Local Boys' runners-up


 * Local Girls' titles


 * Local Girls' runners-up