The Most Famous

TENNIS PLAYERS from Russia

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This page contains a list of the greatest Russian Tennis Players. The pantheon dataset contains 1,569 Tennis Players, 82 of which were born in Russia. This makes Russia the birth place of the 3rd most number of Tennis Players behind United States, and Australia.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Russian Tennis Players of all time. This list of famous Russian Tennis Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Russian Tennis Players.

Photo of Maria Sharapova

1. Maria Sharapova (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 63.61, Maria Sharapova is the most famous Russian Tennis Player.  Her biography has been translated into 97 different languages on wikipedia.

Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (Russian: Мария Юрьевна Шарапова, romanized: Mariya Yuryevna Sharapova, pronounced [mɐˈrʲijə ʂɐˈrapəvə] ; born 19 April 1987) is a Russian former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 21 weeks. Sharapova won 36 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including five major titles, as well as the 2004 WTA Tour Championships. She is one of ten women to achieve the career Grand Slam in singles. A teen sensation, Sharapova broke through to the top of the sport by winning the 2004 Wimbledon Championships as a 17-year-old, upsetting two-time defending champion Serena Williams. She then won the 2004 Tour Finals, and became the world No. 1 for the first time in August 2005 at the age of 18, the first Russian woman to top the singles rankings. Continued success over the following years, including titles at the 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open, was accompanied by recurring injuries, and Sharapova dipped in and out of the top 10 around the turn of the decade. After a career-long struggle with success on clay courts, Sharapova claimed the 2012 French Open to complete the career Grand Slam, returning to the No. 1 position, and shortly after won an Olympic silver medal in women's singles at the 2012 London Olympics. She won a second French Open title in 2014 for her fifth major championship. Sharapova failed a drug test at the 2016 Australian Open, testing positive for meldonium, a substance that had been banned (effective 1 January 2016) by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). On 8 June 2016, she was suspended from playing tennis for two years by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). On 4 October 2016, the suspension was reduced to 15 months, starting from the date of the failed test, as the Court of Arbitration for Sport found that she had committed "no significant fault" and that she had taken the substance "based on a doctor's recommendation... with good faith belief that it was appropriate and compliant with the relevant rules". She returned to the WTA Tour in April 2017 at the Stuttgart Open. Sharapova retired from the sport in 2020. Sharapova has been featured in a number of modeling assignments, including a feature in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She has appeared in many advertisements, including those for Nike, Prince, and Canon, and has been the face of several fashion houses, most notably Cole Haan. Since February 2007, she has been a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, concerned specifically with the Chernobyl Recovery and Development Programme. In June 2011, she was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time and in March 2012 was named one of the "100 Greatest of All Time" by Tennis Channel. According to Forbes, she was the highest-paid female athlete in the world for 11 consecutive years and earned US$285 million (including prize money) since she turned professional in 2001. In 2018, she launched a new program to mentor women entrepreneurs.

Photo of Anna Kournikova

2. Anna Kournikova (b. 1981)

With an HPI of 62.50, Anna Kournikova is the 2nd most famous Russian Tennis Player.  Her biography has been translated into 76 different languages.

Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova Iglesias (née Kournikova; Russian: Анна Сергеевна Курникова; Russian: [ˈanːə sʲɪrˈɡʲejɪvnə ˈkurnʲɪkəvə] ; born 7 June 1981) is a Russian model and television personality, and former professional tennis player. Her appearance and celebrity status made her one of the best known tennis stars worldwide. At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournikova made her name one of the most common search strings on Google Search. Despite never winning a singles title, she reached No. 8 in the world in 2000. She achieved greater success playing doubles, where she was at times the world No. 1 player. With Martina Hingis as her partner, she won Grand Slam titles in Australia in 1999 and 2002, and the WTA Championships in 1999 and 2000. They referred to themselves as the "Spice Girls of Tennis". Kournikova retired from professional tennis in 2003 due to serious back and spinal problems, including a herniated disk. She lives in Miami Beach, Florida, and played in occasional exhibitions and in doubles for the St. Louis Aces of World TeamTennis before the team folded in 2011. She was a new trainer for season 12 of the television show The Biggest Loser, replacing Jillian Michaels, but did not return for season 13. In addition to her tennis and television work, Kournikova serves as a Global Ambassador for Population Services International's "Five & Alive" program, which addresses health crises facing children under the age of five and their families.

Photo of Marat Safin

3. Marat Safin (b. 1980)

With an HPI of 61.49, Marat Safin is the 3rd most famous Russian Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 63 different languages.

Marat Mubinovich Safin (Russian: Мара́т Муби́нович Са́фин, IPA: [mɐˈrat ˈsafʲɪn] ; Tatar: Марат Мөбин улы Сафин, romanized: Marat Möbin ulı Safin; born 27 January 1980) is a Russian former professional tennis player and former politician. He was ranked as the world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for nine weeks. Safin won 15 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including two majors at the 2000 US Open and 2005 Australian Open, and helped lead Russia to Davis Cup titles in 2002 and 2006. Safin received four ATP Awards: 1998 Newcomer of the Year, 2000 Most Improved Player, and the 2001 and 2002 Fans' Favourite. When he first reached the world No. 1 ranking in November 2000, he became (at the time) the youngest No. 1 in the Open Era. Safin retired from the sport in November 2009. In 2016, he became the first Russian tennis player inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Safin is also the older brother of former women's world No. 1 player Dinara Safina; they are the only brother-sister tandem in tennis history to have both achieved No. 1 singles rankings. In 2011, Safin became a member of the State Duma representing the United Russia party.

Photo of Yevgeny Kafelnikov

4. Yevgeny Kafelnikov (b. 1974)

With an HPI of 59.89, Yevgeny Kafelnikov is the 4th most famous Russian Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 49 different languages.

Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov (Russian: Евгений Александрович Кафельников, IPA: [jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪj ˈkafʲɪlʲnʲɪkəf] ; born 18 February 1974) is a Russian former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Kafelnikov won 26 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including two majors at the 1996 French Open and the 1999 Australian Open, as well as an Olympic gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He also won four major doubles titles (three at the French Open and one at the US Open), and is the most recent man to have won both the men's singles and doubles titles at the same major, which he achieved at the 1996 French Open. In 2019, Kafelnikov was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Photo of Svetlana Kuznetsova

5. Svetlana Kuznetsova (b. 1985)

With an HPI of 55.89, Svetlana Kuznetsova is the 5th most famous Russian Tennis Player.  Her biography has been translated into 52 different languages.

Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova (born 27 June 1985) is a Russian former professional tennis player. She was ranked as high as world No. 2 in singles and world No. 3 in doubles by the WTA. Kuznetsova won 18 singles and 16 doubles titles on the WTA Tour, including two singles majors at the 2004 US Open and 2009 French Open, and two doubles majors at the 2005 and 2012 Australian Opens. Kuznetsova first took part in a WTA Tour event in 2001. Her first major title came at the 2004 US Open over compatriot Elena Dementieva, making her the third Russian woman to win a major. Kuznetsova's second major singles title was the 2009 French Open, defeating compatriot Dinara Safina in the final. At the 2006 French Open and the 2007 US Open singles tournaments she was the runner-up, both times to Justine Henin, raising her to a career-high singles ranking of world No. 2. After 2010, Kuznetsova's results declined, but slowly recovered through 2016, when she re-entered the top ten and reached the semifinals of the WTA Finals. She retired from the sport in 2021. Kuznetsova was also successful in doubles. She won her first five WTA doubles titles with Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. Partnering Elena Likhovtseva, she climbed to No. 3 in doubles in 2004. She won the Australian Open twice in doubles, in 2005 alongside Alicia Molik and in 2012 partnering Vera Zvonareva.

Photo of Dinara Safina

6. Dinara Safina (b. 1986)

With an HPI of 55.47, Dinara Safina is the 6th most famous Russian Tennis Player.  Her biography has been translated into 53 different languages.

Dinara Mubinovna Safina (Russian: Динара Мубиновна Сафина, pronounced [dʲɪˈnarə ˈsafʲɪnə] ; Tatar: Динара Мөбин кызы Сафина, romanized: Dinara Möbin kızı Safina; born April 27, 1986) is a Russian former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 26 weeks, and world No. 8 in doubles. Safina won twelve WTA Tour-level singles titles and nine in doubles, including the women's doubles title at the 2007 US Open with Nathalie Dechy. She was the runner-up at three major singles tournaments: the 2008 French Open, 2009 Australian Open, and 2009 French Open, and won an Olympic silver medal in singles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Safina officially retired in 2014 due to a long-term back injury. She is the younger sister of former world No. 1 men's player Marat Safin; the brother–sister pair are the first to both achieve the No. 1 singles rankings.

Photo of Daniil Medvedev

7. Daniil Medvedev (b. 1996)

With an HPI of 55.12, Daniil Medvedev is the 7th most famous Russian Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 51 different languages.

Daniil Sergeyevich Medvedev (Russian: Даниил Сергеевич Медведев, IPA: [dənʲɪˈil sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ mʲɪdˈvʲedʲɪf]; born 11 February 1996) is a Russian professional tennis player. He has been ranked as the world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Medvedev has won 20 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including the 2021 US Open and 2020 ATP Finals. Medvedev made his ATP Tour main draw debut at the 2015 Kremlin Cup, and in 2017, he participated in a singles major for the first time at Wimbledon. In 2018, Medvedev won his first ATP Tour singles titles, and achieved a breakthrough in 2019, making his top 10 debut and reaching six consecutive tournament finals, including at the US Open. He won the ATP Finals in 2020, becoming the only player to defeat the top three ranked players in the world en route to the year-end championship title. In 2021, Medvedev contested two major finals against Novak Djokovic, winning at the US Open to claim his first major title and deny Djokovic the Grand Slam. Shortly after reaching another Australian Open final in 2022, Medvedev became the first man after Andy Murray outside of the Big Three to attain the world No. 1 ranking since Andy Roddick in 2004, the third Russian man to do so after Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin, and the 27th man overall. He then struggled with form and eventually dropped out of the top 10 in rankings, but returned to form in early 2023 and has since reached two more major finals and returned to the top 5.

Photo of Andrey Rublev

8. Andrey Rublev (b. 1997)

With an HPI of 54.97, Andrey Rublev is the 8th most famous Russian Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 37 different languages.

Andrey Andreyevich Rublev (Russian: Андрей Андреевич Рублёв; Russian pronunciation: [andrej rublʲov] born 20 October 1997) is a Russian professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as world No. 5 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), which he first achieved in September 2021. Rublev has won 17 ATP Tour singles titles, including two Masters 1000 events at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters and the 2024 Madrid Open. He has reached the quarterfinals of all four majors. Rublev also has four ATP Tour-level doubles titles, including a Masters 1000 event at the 2023 Madrid Open partnering Karen Khachanov, and a gold medal in mixed doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics partnering Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. In his junior career, Rublev won the 2014 French Open singles. He won the bronze medal in singles and the silver in doubles at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing. Rublev broke into the top 10 in the ATP rankings in October 2020. He was part of the victorious Russian team at the 2020–21 Davis Cup. Rublev has a career-high doubles ranking of No. 44, achieved on 6 November 2023. He won his first doubles title at the 2015 Kremlin Cup with Dmitry Tursunov, and among his singles titles are home victories in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Photo of Elena Dementieva

9. Elena Dementieva (b. 1981)

With an HPI of 54.73, Elena Dementieva is the 9th most famous Russian Tennis Player.  Her biography has been translated into 50 different languages.

Elena Viacheslavovna Dementieva (Russian: Еле́на Вячесла́вовна Деме́нтьева, [jɪˈlʲɛnə dʲɪˈmʲenʲtʲjɪvə] ; born 15 October 1981) is a Russian former professional tennis player. She was ranked world No. 3 in women's singles and world No. 5 in women's doubles by the WTA. Dementieva won 16 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, adding to a silver medal from the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She was also the runner-up at the 2004 French Open and 2004 US Open, and reached seven other major semifinals. Dementieva was part of the victorious Russian team at the 2005 Fed Cup. In doubles, she won six titles, including the 2002 WTA Championships with Janette Husárová, and was runner-up in two US Open finals. Dementieva announced her retirement from the sport after the 2010 WTA Tour Championships. Between 2003 and 2010, she only ended one year, in 2007, outside the top 10. She is considered to be one of the most talented players never to have won a Grand Slam tournament.

Photo of Mischa Zverev

10. Mischa Zverev (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 53.02, Mischa Zverev is the 10th most famous Russian Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Mikhail "Mischa" Alexandrovich Zverev (born 22 August 1987) is a German retired professional tennis player. He achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 25 on 24 July 2017. At the 2017 Australian Open, Zverev defeated world No. 1 Andy Murray in four sets before losing in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Roger Federer. As a qualifier, he has also reached the quarterfinals of both the 2009 Italian Open and the 2016 Shanghai Masters. He is the brother of former world No. 2, 2021 Olympic gold medallist, and two-time ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev.

People

Pantheon has 82 people classified as Russian tennis players born between 1949 and 2007. Of these 82, 81 (98.78%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Russian tennis players include Maria Sharapova, Anna Kournikova, and Marat Safin. The most famous deceased Russian tennis players include Alexander Volkov. As of April 2024, 82 new Russian tennis players have been added to Pantheon including Maria Sharapova, Anna Kournikova, and Marat Safin.

Living Russian Tennis Players

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Deceased Russian Tennis Players

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Newly Added Russian Tennis Players (2024)

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