Kalinina: I went home to Kiev, it was the best time I've had this year

Anhelina Kalinina has enjoyed a career-best season on the tennis court against the backdrop of a hugely difficult year on a personal level – and for her native Ukraine. In this first-person piece from W100 Shrewsbury, where she is competing on the ITF World Tennis Tour, the world No. 49 (who received support from the Grand Slam Development Programme to help realise her potential) reflects on her first full year on the WTA Tour, and opens up about making an emotional trip home to Kiev to see her family in September.

I’m really proud that I played almost a whole WTA year. I think the only tournament I missed was Guadalajara and all of September when I was sick, but I played all the biggest events. I had some decent results - the fourth round in Miami; quarter-finals in Charleston, Madrid and Eastbourne - so it was a very good experience for me. I played a lot of top players this year. Last year I played consistently on the ITF World Tennis Tour, so it’s great to have made the jump to play fully on the WTA Tour.

It’s a very challenging calendar. We started playing in Australia then we moved to Doha, then America, then back to Europe. It’s my first time moving like this. In previous years I was playing ITFs so it was a completely different schedule for me. I realise now how tough it is to move to one place, and then to another place in the world, changing from hard to clay and so on. Everything is a new experience, new schedule, new players. As tough as it is, it’s very motivating too.

I know that I can compete with these players. I’m beating some of them, I’m losing to some of them, but I feel like I’m moving in the right direction, and I have so much more to improve to be consistent at that level. This year, I’ve seen the skill players have at the top of the game, how solid they are. Everyone is competitive, but the top 30 players are unbelievable, because they hold their place there throughout the whole year.

I need to be much more consistent next year. I never really thought about my ranking this year, I was just trying to play each match with as much quality as I can. Sometimes it was good, sometimes it was not so good. But next year, I know all the tournaments and I know what to expect from them. Hopefully I will improve my movement, my shots, my serve, and make another jump. Like Nadal says, every day you need to improve something.

My husband is with me 24/7 on the Tour, but my fitness coach couldn’t travel because of the war so I’ve been living without proper fitness training this year. I’m basing myself in Slovakia for this pre-season, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it’s going to go.

The war affects a lot of my life and everyone else from Ukraine. When I do my job, I have to do it as good as I can and I have to try and focus. But in February I was not able to focus on anything. It’s about so much more than tennis… than sport. It affects the whole country and all the people. My whole family are there. It’s impossible to explain in words how it has affected me, but I’m just trying to do everything that’s possible for me in this moment.

I have been trying to find some positive things from my work on the tennis court, but it has been really tough. I’m trying to relax as much as I can. I’m on the phone with my family and trying to stay with them as much as we both can. In September, I went home for the first time all year. I went to Kiev by train. It took me almost a day to travel there. It was emotionally crazy.

The last time I was in Kiev was 17 February, and a week later the war started. I left with my husband to play Doha and then everything started. Being able to go back home to my parents, to my brother, to my granny, grandfather, for seven days in September was the best time… the best seven days of the whole year. Everyone was there at home. My husband’s mum and his brother were also there. Every dog, every cat was there too. It was the most enjoyable time I’ve had this year. I couldn’t leave my family for a second. It was the best time.

It’s been so hard, but I have my people, my friends, my very close friends. Everyone is supporting as much as they can, I appreciate everything that they did for me and my family. To everyone who is supporting us… thanks, I appreciate it.

Kalinina was talking to the ITF's Jamie Renton at W100 Shrewsbury, where she is competing as top seed this week. Follow her progress via the ITF World Tennis Tour live scores and streams platform here.