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 teamed up with Romania’s Sorona Cristea but faced defeat 7-5, 6-4 against the American duo McCartney Kessler and Peyton Stearns, after losing a significant 5-1 lead in the opening set. To make matters worse, Stearns later posted on Instagram, poking fun at Kalinskaya’s mistake during match point.
Following the Americans’ win, Kalinskaya lingered by the net to confront Stearns, accusing her and her partner of consistently showing disrespect to their defeated opponents.
The Russian site Championat reported that Kalinskaya was displeased because Stearns and Kessler didn’t apologize when their shots clipped the net and landed in.
‘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
One spectator remarked on X, ‘Kalinskaya is stirring up trouble post-defeat, angry at McCartney and Peyton for not saying sorry after a netcord… though they did, but Anna missed it.’
Kessler and Stearns chose not to comment publicly on Kalinskaya’s accusations. However, Stearns did share a congratulatory message from Danielle Wolf, a former Ohio State tennis player, who supported her from the audience.
‘Big win,’ Wolf posted, adding four American flags and a jab at Kalinskaya, saying, ‘We love a forehand fluke 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.’
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.
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.’
Kalinskaya kisses ex-boyfriend Jannik Sinner after he won the US Open back in 2024
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.
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.
