Anna Kalinskaya has outed a top-20 male tennis star who messaged her 10 times begging for a date – only to be rejected.
The Russian, who is currently ranked 32nd in the world, was previously one half of the sport’s biggest power couple.
Indeed, Kalinskaya and world No 1 Jannik Sinner put their romance on public display almost exactly a year ago as they shared a kiss after the Italian’s US Open victory.
Their relationship was ultimately short-lived, with the pair taking a break just a few short months later to ‘better understand their future’. Sinner later confirmed that he was single while speaking to reporters in Rome.
But he’s seemingly far from the only player on the ATP Tour to have taken a fancy to Kalinskaya, who revealed in an interview this week that ‘a couple’ of stars have asked her on date.
One of those is world No 11 Holger Rune, who the 26-year-old said sent her a host of DMs before being emphatically knocked back.
Anna Kalinskaya has revealed that she rejected the advances of a well-known male tennis player
The Russian star was previously dating world No 1 Jannik Sinner. The pair are pictured here sharing a kiss at the US Open in September 2024
They however split before the end of 2024, with Sinner later confirming the news in an interview
When asked by former tennis player Anna Chakvetadze on the First&Red podcast whether or not she’s received advances from male stars, Kalinskaya replied: ‘Tennis players – more often before.
‘Now I’m older, I don’t know, for some there’s no chance! No need to write.
‘Someone wrote like 10 times and then gave up. I’ll say who it is now, Holger Rune. He writes to everyone. He thinks too much of himself.
‘Maybe he’s just desperate, but he’s not the only one [to have messaged me].’
Rune however soon hit back at Kalinskaya’s revelation with a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, claiming she misunderstood his messages.
The 22-year-old Dane wrote: ‘Ha ha ha. We might have cultural differences that make Anna read a comment on a story as an invitation to a date.
‘If I want to go for a date, I ask for a date. Don’t worry’
Fiery Australian Nick Kyrgios is another of the tour professionals to have tried his luck with Kalinskaya, perhaps more successfully than Rune.
Appearing on the First&Red podcast with Anna Chakvetadze, Kalinskaya revealed she’s had a few stars slide into her DMs
One of those is world No 11 Holger Rune, who Kalinskaya claims sent her ‘ten’ messages in an attempt to spark up a romance
The Dane however soon hit back, claiming his messages were not ‘an invitation to a date’
Kyrgios and the Russian, then aged 21, enjoyed a brief relationship which began in 2020. They were often seen supporting each other at matches and even attended an NBA game together.
However they’d called time on their fleeting romance before the year was up, with Kalinskaya unapologetically describing him as a ‘bad person’ on an Instagram Live.
‘You are not a bad boy, you are simply a bad person,’ she explained.
It wasn’t until three years later that she became connected to Sinner as the pair sparked dating rumors in April 2024.
Sinner later confirmed that such speculation was true at the French Open, saying: ‘I’m with Anna, yes, but we keep everything confidential. You know my confidentiality, I won’t say more.’
Their time together was once more short-lived. After rumors of a split began circulating a few months on, a cold set of quotes from Sinner later suggested their romance was well and truly on the rocks.
‘Having a girlfriend is something that makes you feel good or makes you feel bad. I want it to be something that seems very natural, that enters my life normally,’ he is quoted as saying by II Messagero, citing sources from Kalinskaya’s Russian homeland.
The 26-year-old also dated Australian Nick Kyrgios back in 2021. Here they’re pictured at an NBA game together
She is now thought to be back with her ex boyfriend Tomas Ferrari, who she dated in 2021
‘I can’t afford to change as a player or as a person. This hasn’t happened, which is why it works.’
Kalinskaya is thought to have since moved on with another suitor, returning to her ex-boyfriend Tomas Ferrari.
Having initially dated back in 2021, Ferrari and the tennis star are believed to have rekindled their romance this year after he was spotted at a number of her matches.
He was in attendance at the Madrid Open, Indian Wells and the Miami Open, and is the owner of the dog which celebrated with Kalinskaya on court at last month’s DC Open.
She confirmed that’s the case during her First&Red interview, explaining: ‘Right now Bella [the dog] is in New York, she gives me a lot of positivity. She definitely gives me energy.
‘Yes [she’s my boyfriend’s dog], why else would I take her?’
When quizzed about who the ‘lucky guy’ is, Kalinskaya said: ‘I’d rather not [reveal who he is].
‘He’s not an athlete. He used to do sports, but not professionally. He loves sports, I don’t think I could be with a person who has zero interest in my profession, but he works in finance.’
