MOSCOW, November 17. /TASS/. Four Russian women have been nominated in different categories of the 2025 WTA (Women Tennis Association) Player Awards, the global tennis organization’s press service said in a statement on Monday.
"The nominees for the 2025 WTA Player Awards have officially been announced in the following categories: Player of the Year, Doubles Team of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Most Improved Player and Newcomer of the Year," the statement reads.
The four Russians nominated are Mirra Andreeva, Diana Shnaider, Veronika Kudermetova and Yekaterina Alexandrova.
In the Doubles Team of the Year category, the WTA listed the Russian duo of Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider as well as another Russian player Veronika Kudermetova who played in doubles with Elise Mertens of Belgium. The other nominated duos in this category are Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini (both from Italy); Taylor Townsend (the United States) and Katerina Siniakova (the Czech Republic); Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada) and Erin Routliffe (New Zealand).
Russia’s Yekaterina Alexandrova and Mirra Andreeva are up for the 2025 Most Improved Player award along with Clara Tauson (Denmark), Linda Noskova (the Czech Republic) and Amanda Anisimova (the United States).
The Player of the Year award nominees are Iga Swiatek (Poland), Amanda Anisimova (the United States), Yelena Rybakina (Kazakhstan), Coco Gauff (the United States) and Madison Keys (the United States).
Russia’s Andreeva, 18, who is nominated for two WTA awards is Andreeva,is a three-time WTA champion. She is currently Russia's top-ranked female player at 9th place in the WTA Rankings. Her best finish at Grand Slams was at the 2024 French Open when she reached the semifinals. In 2023, the WTA named Andreeva the rookie of the year. Playing at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, she won a silver medal in women’s doubles paired with Diana Shnaider.
"Broke a string of records in 2025, won WTA 1000 titles in Dubai and Indian Wells, made the quarterfinals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, made Top 10 debut," the WTA statement reads about Andreeva.
Shnaider, 21, is currently ranked 21st in the WTA Rankings. She holds four WTA titles, winning all of them in the previous season. Her best result in Grand Slams was reaching Round 4 of the 2024 US Open.
Kudermetova, 28, is currently ranked 30th in the WTA Rankings. She has two career WTA titles. Her best result playing in Grand Slam singles was when she reached the quarterfinals of the 2022 French Open. She also won the 2021 Billie Jean King Cup as part of the Russian national team. Kudermetova has had a little more success playing in women's doubles, winning eight tour titles, including two WTA titles in 2022 and 2023.
Alexandrova, 30, is currently the world’s No. 10 player. She holds five career WTA titles. Her best Grand Slam finishes were at Wimbledon in 2023 and 2025, where she reached the fourth round, and a quarterfinal appearance at the 2025 French Open. She also won the 2021 Billie Jean King Cup.
"Made Top 10 debut, reached four WTA 500 finals (including a title in Linz), made the fourth round at three Slams," the WTA statement reads acknowledging the Russian feats this year.
The Russian female athletes played during all of the WTA sponsored events under a neutral status.
Russian players’ neutral status at tennis tournaments
On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to ban athletes from Russia and Belarus from international tournaments, citing Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine.
Following the IOC's recommendations in late February 2022, most global sports federations excluded athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international competitions.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) ruled on March 1, 2022, to suspend the membership of the Russian and Belarusian tennis federations while also canceling all previously scheduled tournaments in both countries.
On March 14, 2022, the ITF also confirmed its ban on the Russian and Belarusian national teams from participating in the 2022 Davis Cup and the 2022 Billie Jean King Cup.