Maria Kirilenko facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this article, the patronymic is Yuryevna and the family name is Kirilenko.

Quick facts for kids
Maria Kirilenko
Мари́я Кириле́нко

Kirilenko at the 2014 Italian Open

Full name

Maria Yuryevna Kirilenko

Native name

Мари́я Ю́рьевна Кириле́нко

Country (sports)

Russia

Residence

Moscow, Russia

Born

25 January 1987 (age 38)
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union

Height

1.74 m (5 ft 81⁄2 in)

Turned pro

2001

Retired

2014

Plays

Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

Prize money

$6,855,919

Singles

Career record

364–257 (58.62%)

Career titles

Highest ranking

No. 10 (10 June 2013)

Grand Slam singles results

QF (2010)

QF (2013)

QF (2012)

4R (2011)

Other tournaments

Olympic Games

SF – 4th (2012)

Doubles

Career record

255–150 (62.96%)

Career titles

Highest ranking

No. 5 (24 October 2011)

Grand Slam doubles results

F (2011)

F (2012)

3R (2007)

SF (2011)

Other doubles tournaments

Tour Finals

W (2012)

Team competitions

Fed Cup

3–4

Medal record

Olympic Games

Bronze	2012 London	Doubles

Maria Yuryevna Kirilenko (born 25 January 1987) is a former professional tennis player from Russia. When she was just 15, Maria won a big junior tournament, the 2002 US Open. She became one of the top ten players in the world for both singles and doubles tennis.

Maria won six singles titles and 12 doubles titles during her career. She reached the quarterfinals of major tournaments three times. These were the 2010 Australian Open, 2012 Wimbledon Championships, and 2013 French Open. At the 2012 London Olympics, she made it to the semifinals. Her highest singles ranking was world No. 10 in June 2013. In doubles, she reached world No. 5 in October 2011. She also played in two major doubles finals. With Victoria Azarenka, she reached the final at the 2011 Australian Open. With Nadia Petrova, she reached the final at the 2012 French Open. Maria and Nadia also won the 2012 WTA Tour Championships in doubles. They earned a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

Maria's Tennis Journey
- Starting as a Junior Player
- Becoming a Professional Player
Beyond the Court
- Fashion and Appearances
- Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Maria's Tennis Journey

Starting as a Junior Player

In 2002, Maria Kirilenko showed great promise. She won two important junior tournaments: the Canadian Open and the US Open.

Becoming a Professional Player

Kirilenko at Roland Garros, 2006

Kirilenko at Roland Garros, 2006

Maria started playing in WTA events in 2002. She began to climb the rankings in 2004. An injury slowed her down a bit that year. At the 2004 French Open, she played against the famous Serena Williams. Maria won the first set but lost the match. She also finished second at the Hyderabad Open.

By the end of 2005, Maria was back on track. She won her first singles title in Beijing. In June 2006, she entered the top 20 players in the world for the first time. At the US Open, she reached the third round. Maria also played for Russia in the Fed Cup in April 2006.

2007: Rising in the Rankings

In January 2007, Maria reached the third round of the Australian Open. She then played in the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. There, she beat world No. 15 Shahar Pe'er. She also reached the second round at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Later that year, at the San Diego Open, Maria surprised everyone by beating Jelena Janković. She made it to the quarterfinals. At the Stanford Classic, she beat Marion Bartoli. After the US Open, Maria won her second WTA Tour singles title at the Sunfeast Open. The next week, she reached the finals in Seoul but lost to Venus Williams.

Kirilenko with her mixed-doubles partner, Igor Andreev, at the US Open

2008: Winning More Titles

Kirilenko at the 2008 US Open

At the Australian Open, Maria reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time. She beat the sixth seed, Anna Chakvetadze. She then reached the final of a tournament in Estoril, where she won her third singles title. She also won the doubles title there with Flavia Pennetta. Maria won another title in Barcelona, her fourth career win. In August, she reached the semifinals at the Cincinnati tournament. She also won the doubles title there with Nadia Petrova.

2009: Facing Tough Opponents

Kirilenko at the 2009 US Open

Maria started 2009 at the Australian Open. She lost in the first round to Sara Errani. In doubles, she reached the final in Dubai with Agnieszka Radwańska. At the 2009 French Open, she reached the third round in doubles. At Wimbledon, she made it to the second round. At the US Open, she reached the third round. She then played in the Korea Open but lost in the semifinals.

2010: First Grand Slam Quarterfinal

Kirilenko at the 2010 US Open

Maria had a strong start to 2010. At the Australian Open, she upset her friend and former doubles partner, Maria Sharapova. Maria won in a very long match that lasted over three hours. She then reached the quarterfinals, her best result at a Grand Slam so far. In doubles, she and Agnieszka Radwańska reached the semifinals.

Maria also reached the quarterfinals at the Italian Open. She made it to the round of 16 at the French Open. She beat the defending champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova, along the way. In doubles, she and Radwańska reached the quarterfinals. At Wimbledon, she reached the third round. Maria ended 2010 ranked No. 20 in the world.

2011: Staying Strong

Kirilenko at the 2011 Family Circle Cup

Maria started 2011 by winning the Gold Group Championship at the Hong Kong Tennis Classic with her Russian teammates. At the Australian Open, she reached the doubles final with Victoria Azarenka. She also won a doubles title at the Madrid Open with Azarenka. At the French Open, she reached the fourth round.

Maria had a memorable match at the US Open. She lost to the eventual champion, Samantha Stosur, in a very close match. The second set tie-break was one of the longest in women's tennis history at a major tournament. She reached her first singles semifinal of the year at the Guangzhou International Open. Maria ended 2011 ranked No. 20 in singles and No. 5 in doubles.

2012: Olympic Medalist

Kirilenko on the practice court at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Maria started 2012 at the Australian Open. She had to stop playing in the third round due to an injury. She reached the final of the Pattaya Open. At Indian Wells, she made it to the quarterfinals.

Maria had a great run at the Wimbledon Championships. She reached the quarterfinals for the first time at Wimbledon. This meant she had reached the second week of all four major tournaments in her career. She lost a very close quarterfinal match to Agnieszka Radwańska.

The highlight of 2012 was the Summer Olympics in London. Maria reached the singles semifinals. She lost her semifinal match and then the bronze medal match, finishing fourth. However, she won a bronze medal in women's doubles with Nadia Petrova. They beat the top-ranked team to win the medal. Maria also reached the final of the New Haven Open. She and Nadia Petrova won the doubles title at the WTA Tour Championships. Maria ended 2012 ranked No. 14 in singles and No. 7 in doubles.

2013: Reaching World No. 10

Kirilenko at the 2013 French Open

Maria started 2013 by winning the Pattaya Open. This was her first singles title since 2008. She also played in the Fed Cup for Russia, helping them reach the final. At Indian Wells, Maria reached the semifinals.

At the French Open, Maria had a fantastic tournament. She reached her first quarterfinal at the French Open. This great performance helped her reach the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in her career. She became world No. 10 on June 10, 2013. Maria ended 2013 ranked No. 19.

2014: Final Season

Kirilenko practicing at the 2014 French Open

Maria missed the start of 2014 due to a knee injury. She returned to play in April but struggled with injuries. At the Wimbledon Championships, Maria was ranked 109th, her lowest ranking in five years. Despite this, she caused an upset by beating the 18th seed, Sloane Stephens, in the first round. She then lost in the second round.

At the US Open, Maria played against Maria Sharapova in the first round and lost. Later in the year, she reached her first quarterfinal in 15 months at the Korea Open. Maria played her last tournament of the season in October. She ended 2014 ranked No. 186.

After Tennis: Family Life

Maria Kirilenko officially retired from professional tennis in 2014. Between 2015 and 2017, she became a mother to two children. She has not played professional tennis since 2014.

Beyond the Court

Fashion and Appearances

In 2006, Maria was chosen to be the face of Adidas tennis clothes. These clothes were designed by the famous British fashion designer Stella McCartney. Maria wore these designs for three years. She also appeared in the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition magazine.

Personal Life

Maria Kirilenko dated fellow Russian tennis player Igor Andreev for several years. They later broke up in 2011. In November 2011, Maria started dating Russian ice hockey player Alexander Ovechkin. They got engaged in December 2012. However, in July 2014, Maria decided to call off their wedding. On January 24, 2015, Maria married Alexei Stepanov. He is reported to be involved with public services in Moscow. Maria gave birth to a son in July 2015 and a daughter in 2017.

Images for kids

Kirilenko at the 2014 Italian Open
Kirilenko at Roland Garros, 2006
Kirilenko at Roland Garros, 2006
Kirilenko with her mixed-doubles partner and then boyfriend, Igor Andreev at the US Open
Kirilenko at the 2008 US Open
Kirilenko at the 2009 US Open
Kirilenko at the 2010 US Open
Kirilenko at the 2011 Family Circle Cup
Kirilenko on the practice court at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Kirilenko at the 2013 French Open
Kirilenko practicing at the 2014 French Open