return Vera Zvonareva Professional tennis was achieved by winning a tournament ITFW100 Dubaiwhere Former world No. 2l 41 years oldbypass the Croatian Tara Wirth (23) in her first match since May 2024. The victory of the Russian, who was unranked at the time of her return, represents an unexpected milestone in the day of tennis.
Zvonareva Defeated Worth With fractions of 6-3 and 6-4 in a match played in the afternoon of the UAE tournament. The competitor located in 238th in the world rankings of professional women’s tennis playersstarted as a favorite due to the Russian’s long absence from the professional circuit. The result surprised the tennis community, given the difference between Zvonareva’s experience and Worth’s youth, as well as the disparity in recent competitive activity.
Throughout his career, Zvonareva I arrived at World No. 2 in singles and No. 9 in doubles. It includes his record Three Grand Slam titles in doubles: he The 2012 Australian Open and the 2006 and 2020 US Open. Additionally, she reached the singles finals at both Wimbledon and the US Open during the 2010 season, making her one of the most prominent figures in women’s tennis of the past decade.
Last appearance of Zvonareva On the tennis court he was on Roland Garros 2024Where he reached the quarter-finals in doubles with Mira Andreeva. In the singles category, her last participation was at the WTA 500 tournament in Strasbourg, where she did not advance beyond the qualifying stage. Her last singles victory was recorded at the ITF W35 tournament in Larnaca, in March 2024. In 2025, the player encountered visa problems after traveling to Belgrade from Warsaw, forcing her to remain in transit at Chopin Airport before continuing her flight to Podgorica, Montenegro.
After his victory in Dubai… Zvonareva He shared his impressions of the challenge presented by his return to competition. “It was a tough match, which is to be expected against such young players. Without a doubt, my experience was key, but in the end I had to play and win a good, physical match… For someone my age, you always have to take it one day at a time, and that’s exactly my mindset for this week.“, declared the tennis player, according to what was reported Khaleej Times.
In the next round of the tournament. Zvonareva The winner will face the duel between Dalma Galvia former No. 1 and top 80 with two WTA titles, and the Czech Tereza Martinkovathe previous top 40 players entered the competition from the qualifying stage. at the moment, Zvonareva Acting competition North MacedoniaIt is a big change in his career after years of representing Russia on the international stage.
The Russian’s return to professional competition, after a career that appeared to be over in 2024, reopens the debate about longevity and resilience in high-performance sport. Her ability to return to competing and winning at an unusual age on the women’s circuit adds new nuance to the story of world tennis’ veterans.
Next match for Zvonareva in Dubai He will determine whether his return will mark a new stage in his career or a great episode in the ITF circuit season.