Korneeva makes winning return after seven months on the sidelines
Alina Korneeva made a near-instant impact on her return to tennis after seven months away from the game due to injury.
The 17-year-old, who has been sidelined since February after tendon issues in her wrist saw her undergo surgery in April, bounced back in emphatic fashion in Portugal as she claimed the joint-biggest title of her career on the ITF World Tennis Tour at W100 Caldas da Rainha.
A week after beating Martyna Kubka in her first competitive match in seven months at the WTA 250 event in Monastir, Korneeva went all the way to the title at the highest level of ITF competition, defeating Anastasia Zakharova 6-1 6-4 in Sunday’s final.
The triumph was her second W100 crown, adding to her victory (also on a Portuguese hard court) at W100 Figueira Da Foz in July 2023, and her fourth professional singles title overall.
It will deliver a significant confidence boost for Korneeva, who was shaping up to be one of the WTA’s next breakthrough stars before injury stuck.
She had kicked off the 2024 season by defeating Sara Sorribes Tormo on her Grand Slam debut as a qualifier at the Australian Open, and climbed as high as No. 128 in the WTA rankings in late February when injury problems struck.
The teenager, who trains at the Rafa Nadal academy in Manacor, was visited by the 22-time Grand Slam champion in hospital in Barcelona following her surgery in April.
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Korneeva was a prolific junior, winning the girls’ singles title at both the Australian Open, Roland Garros and the year-end ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals in 2023. She was named the girls’ ITF World Champion last year as a result.
Korneeva was joined in the ITF winner’s circle this weekend by fellow teenager Ella Seidel.
The 19-year-old German defeated compatriot Caroline Werner 6-1 6-4 to win the title at W75 Pazardzhik.
It was her second title of the year and fifth overall, and saw her climb to a career-high WTA ranking of No. 123 on Monday.
Australian Talia Gibson, 20, is hot on her heels at a career-high No. 129 after she collected back-to-back titles on home hard courts at W75 Perth, beating Eri Shimizu 6-2 6-4 in Sunday’s final.
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