Alina Korneeva Explained

Alina Korneeva
Fullname:Alina Aleksandrovna Korneeva
Birth Date:2007 6, df=yes[1]
Birth Place:Moscow, Russia
Plays:Right-handed
Careerprizemoney:$179,302
Singlesrecord:61–16
Singlestitles:3 ITF
Highestsinglesranking:No. 128 (26 February 2024)
Currentsinglesranking:No. 151 (1 April 2024)
Australianopenresult:2R (2024)
Australianopenjuniorresult:W (2023)
Frenchopenjuniorresult:W (2023)
Wimbledonjuniorresult:SF (2023) -->
Doublesrecord:16–9
Doublestitles:2 ITF
Highestdoublesranking:No. 261 (18 September 2023)
Currentdoublesranking:No. 378 (1 April 2024)
Australianopendoublesjuniorresult:SF (2023)
Frenchopendoublesjuniorresult:F (2023)
Wimbledondoublesjuniorresult:1R (2023) -->
Updated:7 April 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 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.

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.

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.[14] Together with Anastasia Tikhonova, she also reached the final of the same event in doubles.

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.[15]

On 22 October, Korneeva won the 2023 ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals, defeating Sara Saito 6–0, 6–3 in the final.

2024: Major debut and first win

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.[16] She defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo in the first round, before losing in the second round to tenth-seed Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Personal life

Born in Moscow,[17] Korneeva has been nicknamed the "mini Sharapova" in some quarters.[18] Her father, Aleksandr Korneev, is a former volleyball player who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Korneeva currently trains in Moscow.[19]

ITF Circuit finals

Singles: 4 (3 titles, 1 runner-up)

Legend
$100,000 tournaments
$80,000 tournaments
$60,000 tournaments
$15,000 tournaments
Finals by surface
Hard (2–1)
Clay (1–0)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfaceOpponentScore
Win1–0Sep 2022ITF Casablanca, Morocco15,000Clay Laura Hietaranta7–5, 6–4
Win2–0Mar 2023ITF Pretoria, South Africa60,000Hard Tímea Babos6–3, 7–6(3)
Win3–0Jul 2023Figueira da Foz Open, Portugal100,000Hard Carole Monnet6–0, 6–0
Loss3–1Sep 2023ITF Le Neubourg, France80,000Hard Céline Naef6–4, 2–6, 6–7(7)

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)
ResultW–LDateTournamentTierSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win1–0Nov 2022ITF Sharm El Sheikh,
Egypt
25,000Hard Polina Iatcenko Jenny Dürst
Park So-hyun
6–1, 6–7(1), [10-5]
Loss1–1Jul 2023Figueira da Foz Open,
Portugal
100,000Hard Anastasia Tikhonova Eudice Chong
Arianne Hartono
3–6, 2–6
Win2–1Sep 2023ITF Le Neubourg,
France
80,000Hard Fiona Ferro Maryna Kolb
Nadiya Kolb
7–6(7), 7–5

Junior Grand Slam tournament finals

Singles: 2 (2 titles)

OutcomeYearwidth=130ChampionshipSurfacewidth=190OpponentScore
Win2023Australian OpenHard Mirra Andreeva6–7(2), 6–4, 7–5
Win2023French OpenClay Lucciana Pérez Alarcón7–6(4), 6–3

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alina Korneeva. Tennislive.net.
  2. Web site: Alina Korneeva. ITFTennis.
  3. Web site: Alina Korneeva. WTA Tennis.
  4. Web site: 2021 European Junior Championships. Tenniseurope.org.
  5. Web site: Алина Корнеева и Диана Шнайдер – серебряные призеры Первенств Европы. tennis-russia.ru.
  6. Web site: RECORDS SMASHED: 2022 ITF WORLD TENNIS TOUR JUNIORS IN NUMBERS. ITF Tennis.
  7. Web site: W15 Casablanca. ITFTennis.com.
  8. Web site: Korneeva wins marathon. AUSOpen.com.
  9. Web site: SIX WATERMELONS': ANDREEVA'S DAILY ROUTINE DELIVERS AO GIRLS' FINAL. ITF Tennis.
  10. Web site: Tears everywhere as Alina Korneeva wins epic Australian Open girls' final over close friend Mirra Andreeva. 7news.com.au. 28 January 2023 .
  11. Web site: KORNEEVA LOOKING RIGHT AT HOME IN FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA. ITF Tennis.
  12. Web site: KORNEEVA, 15, BURSTS ON TO PRO SCENE WITH W60 PRETORIA TRIUMPH. 20 March 2023. May 30, 2023. ITF tennis.
  13. Web site: Korneeva wins French Open junior title; second Grand Slam title in a row . wtatennis.com. 10 June 2023.
  14. Web site: McLean . Ross . 31 July 2023 . Korneeva, 16, becomes youngest player in history to claim a W100 title . 2023-09-24 . www.itftennis.com.
  15. Web site: Former junior No.1 Korneeva, 16, victorious on WTA debut in Hong Kong .
  16. Web site: Aussie Open 2024's Slam debuts: Korneeva, Seidel, Starodubtseva and more.
  17. Web site: KORNEEVA: I LIKE THE ATTENTION FROM BACK-TO-BACK GRAND SLAM TITLES. itftennis.com.
  18. Web site: Korneeva, la "mini Sharapova" in finale junior: sfida senza bandiere contro Andreeva. Tiscali.it. 27 January 2023.
  19. Web site: 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 . . 1 July 2023 . . 18 June 2023. ru.