Anhelina Kalinina says her Limoges triumph is "a huge surprise" as she admits she wasn't even sure if she would manage to play out a full match, let alone win five consecutive matches and take the title.
On June 2nd, Kalinina trailed by a set to Iryna Shymanovich in the Bari first round before retiring from the match due to an arm injury. Since the former world No. 25 had been struggling with an injury and poor results for quite some time, she decided to take an extended break and address the issue.
After not playing for nearly half a year, Kalinina entered the WTA 125 (Challenger) tournament in Limoges to test herself ahead of 2026. And the Ukrainian tennis player ended up doing a lot more than just testing her physical condition as she defeated Kathinka von Deichmann, Sonay Kartal, Alycia Parks, Sonay Kartal, Cristina Bucsa and Elsa Jacquemot. The Limoges final win over No. 2 seed Jacquemot was especially impressive since the 28-year-old trailed 3-5 in the final set before storming back to win 6-3 4-6 7-5.
Kalinina, who entered Limoges ranked at No. 155 in the world, improved to No. 127 on this week's updated WTA rankings list.
Kalinina: I didn't know if I'd be able to play one match... This is a huge surprise
"After six months away, Im simply grateful to be back on court and healthy enough to play five matches. When I arrived, I didnt know if Id even manage one. I worked really hard this week, but you never know whats going to happen - so this title is a huge surprise. Im truly happy with where my health is right now," the former world No. 25 admitted after winning Limoges.
Kalinina should now enter the 2026 season in great spirits.
