Alina Korneeva

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

Alina Korneeva

Korneeva at the 2023 French Open
Full name	Alina Aleksandrovna Korneeva
Country (sports)	Russia
Born	(2007-06-23) 23 June 2007 (age 17)[1] Moscow, Russia
Plays	Right-handed
Prize money	$256,005
Singles
Career record	71–20
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 128 (26 February 2024)
Current ranking	No. 274 (10 February 2025)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	2R (2024)
Doubles
Career record	22–13
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 261 (18 September 2023)
Current ranking	No. 268 (10 February 2025)
Last updated on: 11 February 2025.

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] She lost in the last four to Zeynep Sönmez.^[27]

Personal life

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

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

WTA Tour finals

Doubles: 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)

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 Mayar Sherif	6–2, 1–6, [8–10]

WTA Challenger finals

Doubles: 1 (runner-up)

Result	W–L	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	0–1	Oct 2024	Abierto Tampico, Mexico	Hard	Polina Kudermetova	Carmen Corley Rebecca Marino	3–6, 3–6

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	W15	Clay	Laura Hietaranta	7–5, 6–4
Win	2–0	Mar 2023	ITF Pretoria, South Africa	W60	Hard	Tímea Babos	6–3, 7–6(7–3)
Win	3–0	Jul 2023	Figueira da Foz Open, Portugal	W100	Hard	Carole Monnet	6–0, 6–0
Loss	3–1	Sep 2023	ITF Le Neubourg, France	W80	Hard	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	W25	Hard	Polina Iatcenko	Jenny Dürst Park So-hyun	6–1, 6–7(1–7), [10–5]
Loss	1–1	Jul 2023	Figueira da Foz Open, Portugal	W100	Hard	Anastasia Tikhonova	Eudice Chong Arianne Hartono	3–6, 2–6
Win	2–1	Sep 2023	ITF Le Neubourg, France	W80	Hard	Fiona Ferro	Maryna Kolb Nadiya Kolb	7–6(9–7), 7–5

Junior Grand Slam tournament 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	Lucciana Pérez Alarcón	7–6(7–4), 6–3

Doubles: 1 (runner-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	2023	French Open	Clay	Sara Saito	Tyra Caterina Grant 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. "Mérida Open: Sonmez books spot in final". Tennis Majors. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
28. "KORNEEVA: I LIKE THE ATTENTION FROM BACK-TO-BACK GRAND SLAM TITLES". itftennis.com.
29. "Korneeva, la "mini Sharapova" in finale junior: sfida senza bandiere contro Andreeva". Tiscali.it. 27 January 2023.

External links

• Alina Korneeva at the Women's Tennis Association
• Alina Korneeva at the International Tennis Federation