Liudmila Samsonova referred to herself as “Italian” during her post-match interview after reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. This statement came in response to a question about Iga Świątek’s unusual Polish dish of pasta with strawberries.
Liudmila Samsonova’s Connection with Italy
When a reporter asked Samsonova about Świątek’s pasta and strawberry dish, the Russian gave a surprising answer, stating herself an Italian. She said:
“I cannot say anything about that. I’m Italian so I cannot say that. For Italian people it’s something crazy, like it’s impossible to dream about this. This is true. Yeah.”
Samsonova was born on November 11, 1998, in Olenegorsk, Russia, but moved to Italy when she was just an infant. From age six, Samsonova trained at the Piatti Tennis Centre in Bordighera, Italy, after the local tennis federation helped her financially. She trained alongside future world No. 1 Jannik Sinner at the academy, with both players working under the guidance of renowned coach Riccardo Piatti and her present coach Danilo Pizzorno.
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Between 2014 and 2018, Samsonova represented Italy in professional tennis. She played for the Italian national team from ages 16 to 18, participating in youth competitions under the Italian flag.
In 2018, Samsonova made the decision to switch to playing for Russia. She couldn’t secure Italian citizenship and felt less pressure representing her birth country. “I’m the last one [in the rankings],” she joked about playing for Russia. “They don’t care about me.”
Samsonova about Italian vs Russian tennis 🥴 pic.twitter.com/U7JW5LhSjR
— Vladas Lasitskas (@VladasLasitskas) June 21, 2021
In a 2021 interview Samsonova explained: “I grew up in Italy since I was one years old. My parents are Russian. I played for Italy from when I was 16 to 18 years old. When I started to play for Russia, a lot of pressure came off. It was a natural thing.”
Samsonova’s Tennis Career and Recent Wimbledon Form
Samsonova has won five WTA singles titles and two doubles titles during her career. Her breakthrough came in 2021 when she won her first WTA title at the Berlin Ladies Open as a qualifier. She followed this with victories at the 2022 Washington Open, Cleveland Open, and Tokyo Pan Pacific Open, and the 2024 Rosmalen Grass Court Championships.
The 2025 Wimbledon marked a career milestone for Samsonova, as she reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. She entered the tournament as the 19th seed and didn’t drop a single set through the first four rounds. Her best previous Wimbledon result was reaching the fourth round in 2021.
In 2021, Samsonova made her Wimbledon debut as a wildcard and reached the fourth round, defeating notable players including Jessica Pegula and Sloane Stephens. She had only been ranked outside the top 100 at the start of that year.
Now, the Russian is set to face Iga Świątek in the 2025 Wimbledon quarterfinals on Wednesday at Court No. 1.
