Anna Kalinskaya is known as one of the most resilient competitors on the WTA Tour, but her path to professional success was far more demanding than many realized. In a revealing new interview, the Russian opened up about her training years, offering a sharp critique of her time at one of the sport’s most famous training centers, Patrick Mouratoglou’s Academy.
Kalinskaya talked about the contrasting difference between the academy’s public prestige and her own punishing experience, explaining exactly why she vowed never to return.
Anna Kalinskaya Talks About the Harsh Reality of Patrick Mouratoglou Academy
The Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France is widely regarded as the best training spot for aspiring tennis stars, known for its world-class infrastructure and the big names that have trained there. For a young Kalinskaya, the initial impression matched this golden reputation, as she recalled being struck by the scale, admitting, “I went there, they have a really cool academy, a million courts, an incredible gym.”
However, the global name and the facility services were very different from the actual training experience. The academy’s training philosophy emphasized intense physical conditioning, a shift that Kalinskaya’s body was not prepared to handle at such a young age.
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“They started putting a lot of physical effort there, and I wasn’t ready for that. Until I was 16, I did very little; I didn’t do any weightlifting; if I did, it was just some one-off workouts,” she said about the workouts. She also noted that there was no personal care at the academy, and along with the intense workouts, it immediately showed consequences.
She found herself trying to follow established professionals like Alizé Cornet to keep pace. “Alizé Cornet, I would copy her there. I did less weight there, but overall, the program was intense,” she said.
While the heavy sparring and “insane” workload initially boosted her performance, it came at a severe physical cost. “I played with sparring, and the workload was insane. I started seeing results. I was playing well, but my back also started hurting. And that was my first injury, and yes, it still comes back sometimes.”
Beyond the physical toll, Kalinskaya grew disillusioned with the academy’s management of non-established stars. She described a chaotic environment where consistency was sacrificed for the convenience of higher-ranked athletes. “The last time I was there, I came for 10 days, I trained with one coach for two days, and I came on the third day, and there’s already a different coach,” she recalled.
When she asked about her original coach, she was told he had been reassigned to a professional player. “So priority was given to tour players. That’s my experience, and I never went there again, because in 10 days, I changed three coaches.”
Despite carrying the lingering effects of those early physical struggles, Kalinskaya has remained a dangerous presence on the tour in 2026. Her resilience was on full display at the Australian Open in January, where she pushed World No. 2 Iga Świątek to the limit in the third round.
In a match described as a rollercoaster, Kalinskaya fought through back issues, requiring a medical timeout, to take the second set before eventually falling 6-1, 1-6, 6-1. She continued her strong form into February at the Qatar Open, reaching the quarterfinals. However, her run was halted by a dominant Karolína Muchová, who defeated her in straight sets to reach the semifinals.
