Anastasia Myskina

1.1. Childhood and Education

Myskina was born in Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union on 8 July 1981. She trained at the renowned Sparta Club in Moscow, where she was childhood friends with fellow future tennis stars Anna Kournikova and Elena Dementieva, all born in the same year. The club itself was established by the celebrated former Soviet player Olga Morozova and her husband, who was also a tennis coach. Myskina's rise to the top ranks of professional tennis was considered relatively late, as she achieved significant breakthroughs after the age of 20.

1.2. Early Career Development

Myskina turned professional in 1998, the same year she entered the WTA rankings top 500. She quickly made her mark by winning her first WTA title in Palermo, Italy, in only her second appearance in the main draw of a WTA Tour tournament. That year also saw her debut in a Grand Slam tournament at the US Open and represent her country in the Fed Cup, where she played in the doubles category. In 2000, Myskina secured her first career top-20 victory against World No. 17 Barbara Schett on her way to the Sopot semifinals. She also made her debut at the Roland Garros and Wimbledon, both tournaments where she would later achieve significant success. Myskina participated in the Sydney Summer Olympics and reached her first Tier I quarterfinal in Zürich, where she was defeated by then-world No. 1 Martina Hingis.

2.1. 1999-2001: Debut and Early Career

After turning professional in 1998 and breaking into the WTA top 500, Myskina quickly secured her first WTA title in Palermo in July 1999. She debuted at the US Open and in the Fed Cup (playing doubles). In 2000, she achieved her first top-20 victory over World No. 17 Barbara Schett in Sopot. She also made her first appearances at the French Open and Wimbledon. Myskina competed in the Sydney Olympics and reached her initial Tier I quarterfinal in Zürich, where she lost to World No. 1 Martina Hingis. In 2001, Myskina faced an injury that forced her to miss the Australian Open, causing her ranking to drop outside the top 100. However, she demonstrated resilience with strong indoor performances, reaching the quarterfinals in Leipzig and her first career Tier I semifinal in Moscow.

2.2. 2002: Breakthrough Season

The 2002 season proved to be a significant breakthrough for Myskina. She secured her first top-10 victory by defeating defending champion Jelena Dokić in Rome, which propelled her into the top 20 of the WTA rankings. Myskina then reached consecutive grass-court finals at the Birmingham Classic and Eastbourne International, further climbing to World No. 15. She claimed her first Tier II title at the Brasil Open in Salvador, Bahia. Another runner-up finish in Leipzig solidified her position and secured her spot in the WTA Tour Championships. She concluded the 2002 season within the top 15 for the first time in her career.

2.3. 2003: Entry into the Top 10

In 2003, Myskina's ascent continued as she received an invitation to play the Hong Kong Tennis Classic. She reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open, one of six such appearances in her career. Following her title win at the Doha tournament, where she defeated her friend Elena Likhovtseva in the first all-Russian final in WTA history, Myskina officially broke into the top 10. She further established herself among the elite players with a victory in Sarasota. Despite a period of mediocre results during the summer season, she reached the quarterfinals at the US Open, followed by back-to-back titles in Leipzig and Moscow. In Leipzig, she notably defeated World No. 1 Kim Clijsters and World No. 2 Justine Henin. Her Moscow victory marked her first Tier I title and made her the first Russian woman to win the Kremlin Cup. She also reached the finals in Philadelphia and qualified for the WTA Tour Championships. By the end of 2003, Myskina had earned over 1.00 M USD in prize money and finished the year in the top 10 for the first time.

2.4. 2004: French Open Champion

The 2004 season was the most successful of Myskina's career. She began by successfully defending her Doha title, becoming only the second Russian woman to enter the top 5, a feat previously achieved by Natasha Zvereva in May 1989. The pinnacle of Myskina's 2004 season was her triumph at the French Open. Her path to the title included saving match points in the fourth round against Svetlana Kuznetsova and defeating former world No. 1 players Venus Williams and Jennifer Capriati. In the final, she secured a 6-1, 6-2 victory over her compatriot Elena Dementieva in the first-ever all-Russian Grand Slam final. This historic win made her the first Russian woman to capture a Grand Slam singles title. Notably, before this victory, Myskina had never advanced beyond the second round at Roland Garros.

Following her win in Paris, Myskina's ranking rose to World No. 3. She reached the final of the San Diego tournament, where she ended Maria Sharapova's 14-match winning streak, which included a Wimbledon title. In San Diego, Myskina also defeated Vera Zvonareva in the longest final set tie-break in WTA Tour history, winning 17-15 after saving nine match points. She competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics, reaching the semifinals where she lost to Justine Henin despite holding a 5-1 lead in the final set, ultimately finishing in fourth place after losing to Alicia Molik in the bronze medal match. Myskina then reached a career-high ranking of World No. 2. She recovered from her Olympic disappointment to win the Kremlin Cup for the second consecutive year, defeating World No. 2 Lindsay Davenport for the first time in five encounters. At the WTA Championships, she topped her group and secured her second victory over a World No. 1 by again beating Davenport, but she lost in the semifinals to the eventual champion, Sharapova. Myskina played a pivotal role in leading Russia to its first Fed Cup title, winning eight of her nine matches throughout the competition, including all three of her matches in the final. She concluded the season as World No. 3, a career-best year-end ranking for a Russian female player, and earned over 2.00 M USD in prize money, having recorded ten top-10 wins during the year.

2.5. 2005: Mixed Fortunes and Challenges

The 2005 season presented mixed fortunes for Myskina. The first half of the year was particularly challenging due to personal issues related to her mother's health. She suffered early exits, surrendering her titles in Doha and at the French Open in the very first round. Her loss at Roland Garros made her the first reigning French Open champion to be defeated in the opening round of the tournament. Entering the grass-court season with a disappointing 8-10 win-loss record, Myskina managed to turn her fortunes around at Wimbledon. She reached her first career quarterfinal at the event, achieving three remarkable comeback victories, including one against Jelena Janković from a 1-5 deficit in the final set, and another against Elena Dementieva where she was down 1-6, 0-3 and faced match points in the second-set tiebreak. Despite this resurgence, she fell out of the top 10 in August. Myskina then secured her tenth career title at the Kolkata Open by defeating lower-ranked opponents. In the Fed Cup semifinals, she notably defeated Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, but then lost both of her matches in the final. Myskina finished the year within the top 15 for the fourth consecutive time.

2.6. 2006: Struggles and Decline

The 2006 season proved to be another disappointing year for Anastasia Myskina. Despite having several opportunities to re-enter the top 10, she failed to capitalize on any of them. In Warsaw, she experienced her worst defeat in terms of rankings on the WTA Tour, losing to then-World No. 309 wildcard Agnieszka Radwańska. At the French Open, Myskina defeated 2005 quarterfinalist Ana Ivanovic in the third round before being defeated by the eventual champion, Justine Henin, in the fourth round.

She showed glimpses of her former prowess during the grass-court season, reaching the final of the Eastbourne International where she played a close match against Justine Henin-Hardenne, ultimately losing in a third-set tiebreak. She also made it to the Wimbledon quarterfinals but was defeated in three sets by the eventual champion, Amélie Mauresmo. Despite solid performances in the first two majors, reaching the fourth round in each, her game significantly declined after Wimbledon. Following a second consecutive runner-up finish at the Tier IV event in Stockholm, she failed to win a single match during the North American hard-court swing, going 0-3 during the US Open Series. Her performance reached its lowest point at the US Open, where she became the first player to lose a Grand Slam match to future World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka. Myskina entered the tournament with an injury carried over from New Haven. She subsequently sat out the majority of the indoor season due to a foot and toe injury, withdrawing from Stuttgart and her home tournament in Moscow. She returned to play in Zürich but lost to then-unknown Swiss qualifier Timea Bacsinszky in straight sets.

2.7. 2007: Final Season

The 2007 season marked Anastasia Myskina's final year on the professional tour, which was severely impacted by injuries. She played only two singles matches throughout the year, losing both. One of these losses was at the French Open, where she won only one game against Meghann Shaughnessy. This match ultimately became her last appearance on the professional circuit, leading to her eventual retirement from competitive tennis.

3.1. Strengths

Myskina's primary weapon was her powerful two-handed backhand, which she hit flat and with consistent depth, often generating winners. Her forehand was also a strong shot, particularly when executed inside-out, and could be devastating when she was in good form. Her serve, while not exceptionally powerful (averaging 59 mph ^{(95 km/h)} on the first serve, with a recorded top speed of 66 mph ^{(107 km/h)}), was generally reliable. Myskina's greatest assets were her exceptional speed and court coverage, complemented by detailed and precise footwork and superb anticipation. These qualities allowed her to improvise effectively as situations demanded. She also possessed a delicate touch, skillfully incorporating drop shots and lobs into points, often turning these typically defensive shots into winners. Her experience in doubles play also made her an adept volleyer when she chose to approach the net.

3.2. Weaknesses

Despite her strengths, Myskina's game was often hampered by inconsistency. Her forehand, while powerful, sometimes lacked control, leading to a higher number of unforced errors. Her second serve, typically delivered at around 43 mph ^{(70 km/h)}), was considerably weaker and vulnerable to aggressive returns from opponents. When under pressure or feeling nervous, her second serve became even less reliable, contributing to a relatively high double fault count. Furthermore, Myskina was known for her fiery temper, which commentators sometimes described as "volcanic," and this emotional aspect could negatively impact her consistency and overall performance on court.

4.1. Grand Slam Performance

Myskina's crowning achievement was winning the 2004 French Open singles title, where she defeated fellow Russian Elena Dementieva 6-1, 6-2 in the final. This made her the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title. Her overall performance in Grand Slam singles tournaments is detailed below:

4.2. WTA Tour Singles Career

Anastasia Myskina won 10 WTA Tour singles titles and reached 9 finals as a runner-up throughout her career.

4.3. WTA Tour Doubles Career

Anastasia Myskina won 5 WTA Tour doubles titles and was a runner-up once.

4.4. Olympic and Fed Cup Representation

Myskina represented Russia at the 2004 Athens Olympics, reaching the semifinals in singles. She ultimately finished in fourth place after losing the bronze medal match to Alicia Molik with a score of 3-6, 4-6. She also participated in the doubles event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, reaching the second round.

Myskina was a key player for the Russian Fed Cup team, contributing significantly to their victories in 2004 and 2005. In the 2004 Fed Cup, she won eight out of nine matches played, including all three of her matches in the final, leading Russia to its first-ever Fed Cup title. She also played a role in Russia's 2005 Fed Cup triumph. Her overall Fed Cup record stands at 18 wins and 6 losses.

4.5. Career Statistics

Anastasia Myskina's career prize money totaled 5.61 M USD. She maintained a singles record of 355 wins and 191 losses, and a doubles record of 100 wins and 92 losses. Her career-high singles ranking was World No. 2, achieved on 13 September 2004, and her career-high doubles ranking was World No. 15, achieved on 21 February 2005.

Her year-end singles rankings are summarized below:

4.6. Head-to-Head Records

Myskina's record against players who have been ranked in the top 10 is detailed below.

4.7. Wins Against Top-Ranked Players

Myskina achieved 2 victories against players ranked World No. 1 and a total of 22 victories against players ranked in the top 10 at the time the match was played.

Her wins against World No. 1 ranked players are:

Her wins against Top 10 ranked players by season:

Her specific victories against top 10 players are:

6.1. Family and Children

Myskina previously dated HC Dynamo Moscow hockey player Aleksandr Stepanov. After her retirement from tennis, Myskina became a mother to three sons, born in 2008, 2010, and 2012. Reflecting on her experience with parenting, she has stated that being a mother is a different and tougher experience compared to her tennis career. She noted, "Being a mom is tough. You understand what's good for you and the babies, while tennis is just a game. It's fun because you have a different life when you step on the court but when the baby is sick you go crazy. When I lost a match it was really bad time, now I know it was a great time, so being a mom is tougher." Myskina has also expressed strong opinions on the suitability of tennis for different genders, stating, "I think this is absolutely not a male sport. I don't want to offend any male tennis player, but ... our game is not a team game, a sport for egoists. And if women somehow cope, then men - they are so weak. I am for team sports! Friendship, mutual assistance is the best that the team can give." She also said, "I will definitely not give boys to tennis. It seems to me this is not a male sport."

6.2. Legal Disputes and Media Appearances

In October 2002, Myskina participated in a photoshoot for GQ magazine with photographer Mark Seliger, resulting in one approved, fully clothed photo being published in the magazine's October 2002 edition. However, after her French Open victory in 2004, some topless photographs from the same shoot were published without her consent in the Russian magazine Medved (Bear).

In August 2004, Myskina filed a lawsuit seeking 8.00 M USD in damages against GQ, alleging that they allowed her topless photographs to appear in Medved without her permission. On 19 June 2005, U.S. District Judge Michael Mukasey, who later became the United States Attorney General, ruled against Myskina. The judge determined that Myskina could not prevent the distribution of the topless photos because she had signed a release form. Myskina had contended that she did not fully understand the photo release form and was not fluent in English at the time she signed it.