Glamorous Russian tennis star Anna Kalinskaya angrily hit out at her American rivals after losing a doubles match at the US Open on Friday night.
Kalinskaya, partnering with Romania’s Sorona Cristea, lost 7-5, 6-4 to American pair McCartney Kessler and Peyton Stearns, blowing a 5-1 lead in the first set. And to add to her fury, Stearns later shared an Instagram post mocking Kalinskaya’s error on match point.
When the Americans wrapped up victory, Kalinskaya waited at the net and had an exchange with Stearns, accusing her of repeatedly direspecting her beaten rivals.
According to Russian website Championat, Kalinskaya was unhappy that Stears and Kessler refused to apologize when their shots hit the net and bounced over.
‘I expected a little respect. I haven’t seen you apologize even once,’ the 26-year-old said.
The incident was spotted by fans watching the doubles game too, although American viewers naturally sided with their counterparts.
Russian star Anna Kalinskaya (right) was unhappy with her American US Open doubles rivals
Payton Stearns shared a post from a friend that appeared to take a shot at Kalinskaya
‘Kalinskaya starting drama after the loss,’ one fan posted on X. ‘Mad at McCartney and Peyton for not apologizing for a netcord… but they did apologize and Anna just wasn’t looking.’
Kessler and Stearns did not give any public comment about Kalinskaya’s claims but Stearns reposted a celebratory post from former Ohio State tennis player Danielle Wolf, who was cheering her on from the stands.
‘Big dub (win),’ Wolf wrote, with four American flags on the post, before taking a shot at Kalinskaya. ‘We love a fh (forehand) shank on match point.’
It was Kalinskaya’s error on match point that handed Stears and Kessler the victory.
Stearns did, however, try and cover up Wolf’s taunt by posting three American flags over the message aimed at Kalinskaya.
The Russian has a chance to silence her critics on Saturday but it’s a huge challenge for the World No 29, who faces Wimbledon champion and No 2 seed Iga Swiatek on Saturday night.
It marks another controversial moment in a tournament that has gripped fans with the off-court drama up to now.
The most alarming moment of the tournament involved another American, Taylor Townsend, who was accused of having no education and no class by Jelena Ostapenko, who she beat in round two.
Kalinskaya, 26, pictured out in New York last week before the US Open had started
Townsend’s fellow players leapt to her defence while a debate swirled over whether the remarks were racist – something vehemently denied by Ostapenko.
And while the doubles drama was unfolding on Friday, Townsend was given center stage in the singles in the aftermath of the outrage. She responded by beating fifth seed Mirra Andreeva – also Russian – in a huge upset, and told the Arthur Ashe crowd: ‘All I’m going to say is welcome to the show. I feel amazing. I’m really just proud that I kept the main thing the main thing.
‘I want to say thank you to everyone who supported me over these last 48 hours. It’s bigger than me. It’s about the message, it’s about the representation, it’s about being bold and being able to show up as yourself, and I did that tonight. You guys saw the real Taylor Townsend.’
There was also outrage involving Kalinskaya’s next opponent Swiatek, too. She snapped at a reporter on Thursday night who asked her if she would ever put beads in her hair like Naomi Osaka, her fellow competitor.
The tradition has deep roots in African culture and was made famous by Serena and Venus Williams at the height of their record-breaking tennis careers.
Swiatek was visibly shocked at the comment, saying: ‘What kind of question is that? Excuse me? If I wanted to weave beads in my hair? No. What’s going on?’
Kalinskaya, meanwhile, is no stranger to controversial moments on the court – something she shares with her famous ex-boyfriend, the notoriously polarizing Australian Nick Kyrgios – the couple split in 2020 after several months together.
There has been plenty of US Open controversy so far, notably : Jelena Ostapenko’s comments aimed at American player Taylor Townsed
Iga Swiatek looked baffled when a reporter asked her if she was going to put beads in her hair
Earlier in August, while playing at the Cincinnati Open as part of her preparation for the Grand Slam event in New York, she complained to the umpire about the behaviour of the American fans in the stands.
‘Something’s humiliating with the sounds again. Can you tell the security?’ Kalinskaya said to the umpire in her game against Ekaterina Alexandrova.’
‘They are making noises but I think maybe they’re drunk or something. Maybe that would be better for both of us (that you tell security).’
The umpire firmly dismissed her concerns.
‘They probably are (drunk),’ he said. ‘They are doing nothing wong. They are cheering for both of you.’
Kyrgios, meanwhile, isn’t the only tennis star that Kalinskaya has been romantically involved with.
Earlier this year, she ended her relationship with Jannik Sinner, the World No 1 in the men’s game and favorite to win the tournament in Queens next weekend, where he is the defending champion.
Kalinskaya is playing against Swiatek on Saturday night in the women’s singles competition
Kalinskaya kisses ex-boyfriend Jannik Sinner after he won the US Open back in 2024
Sinner confirmed the speculation in July, bluntly telling reporters that he was single.
It’s not clear when they started dating but Sinner told Vanity Fair Italia in June 2024 that he was grateful to have found love due to the demands of his tennis schedule.
‘I travel a lot and during tournaments, I’m very focused,’ he said. ‘But I think it’s a beautiful thing when you find the right love.’
Last year, after Sinner beat American’s Taylor Fritz in the final, he gave Kalinskaya a passionate kiss to celebrate his win. But the couple are no longer an item.
