Brooklyn-born Kalieva to make major main-draw debut at US Open
NEW YORK -- Countless kids in the New York area dream of playing the US Open. Elvina Kalieva knows, because she used to be one of them.
She doesn't have to dream anymore.
Born in Brooklyn, Kalieva, 23, is set to make her Grand Slam main-draw debut on Sunday against Lanlana Tararudee. It comes following her 11th Grand Slam qualifying appearance, but she insists it was worth the wait -- a wait that was extended after having to fend off six break points in the final game of her third-round qualifying match.
"I tried to take it one point at a time," Kalieva said. "Just focus on a strategy and where I want to hit the ball. I wasn't really trying to focus on the score that much, but when she missed that last volley, it was an unreal feeling."
In an era of tennis where more players are choosing to go the college route before turning pro, Kalieva chose to grind through the World Tennis ranks. She played her first professional match in 2017 and made her Grand Slam debut in mixed doubles at the 2021 US Open, where she also finished runner-up in girls' doubles.
But it wasn't until this year that her career really took off. She captured her third World Tennis title -- and the biggest of her career -- at the WTA 100 in San Diego in January. Two months later, she won her first WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz match in Miami, defeating Dalma Galfi.
That win kicked off what has become a breakthrough season for Kalieva. In July, she reached her first WTA semifinal in Memphis, defeating Zeynep Sonmez and Peyton Stearns along the way, and has since reached a career-high ranking of No. 115.
"It's probably the best year of my career," she said. "I'm so proud of my team and myself for everything we've achieved, and I hope we can do more. I would say my goal would be to probably crack the Top 100. I've created a lot of good memories, and I'm enjoying playing tennis and traveling the world. I'm having a lot of fun."
Kalieva isn't the only member of her family to achieve success in the professional sports world. Her brother, Arthur Kaliyev, is a professional hockey player who has played 204 regular-season NHL games since being drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round of the 2019 NHL draft. He has 38 goals in that span and has also played for the hometown New York Rangers.
Having an older brother who knows the pressures of professional sports, and the work it takes to reach the highest level, has been a massive help to Elvina as she's climbed the tennis ladder. And it's benefited Arthur, too.
"It's great because we can both share how we feel," Kalieva said. "We honestly help each other out, like when we're both struggling or we're having highs and lows. We both communicate, talk to each other, because it's not really the same. He has a team sport, but in certain aspects it's the same."
After watching her brother succeed in the NHL, he'll have the pleasure of watching his sister take one of tennis' grandest stages in Flushing Meadows, in what will be the ultimate full-circle moment.
But that doesn't mean she's going to approach it as such.
"I'm going to treat it like a regular match," she said. "Obviously, it's super exciting, but I'm going to try to stay locked in. This is the best Slam, by far. The people, playing at home. Also, hard courts are my favorite surface, so playing here -- it's like no better feeling."
