Redmond’s Kristina Liutova, 16, wins first-round US Open qualifying match
Aug 25, 2026, 4:05 PM
Kristina Liutova reacts after defeating Elvina Kalieva of the United States during the WTA 250 Memphis Classic semifinals at Leftwich Tennis Center on August 01, 2026 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo: Justin Ford, Getty Images)
(Photo: Justin Ford, Getty Images)
Redmond teenager and youngest active WTA champion Kristina Liutova is one step closer to qualifying for the main draw at the US Open in New York.
The 16-year-old won her first-round qualifying match Tuesday, beating fellow Russian Tatiana Prozorova in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
KIRO Newsradio caught up with Liutova last week as she trained for the US Open.
“Just excited, pumped up,” Liutova said. “We’ve been preparing in the past couple of weeks, very hard, and it’s exciting.”
How a former top-20 pro discovered Liutova’s talent
Liutova’s talent was so striking that it caught the eye of Dmitry Tursunov, a former top-20 Russian pro who has gone on to coach some of the biggest names in the sport, including current world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Tursunov connected the family to the Gorin Tennis Academy, where she’s been training since 2021 and racking up junior titles, including the Orange Bowl and multiple national championships.
Ilya Osintsev was her coach when she first got to America.
“I was genuinely surprised, pleasantly surprised, and shocked to see how an 11-year-old girl can play at such a high level already. I’ve never seen that before,” Osintsev said. “And then when we started working together, when I realized how competitive she is — the same thing. I’ve never seen any player being that competitive. Every single point, every single game, and every single match. She’s just such an amazing competitor.”
From ranked 229th to youngest active WTA champion
Earlier this summer, Liutova entered the Memphis Classic. She was ranked 229th in the world. She fought through qualifying and then ended up winning the entire tournament, becoming the youngest active WTA champion and the first person born in the 2010s to win a tour-level event. It was the first tour-level event she’d ever played.
Kristina’s mother, Elena Morozova, said her daughter has been competitive since birth.
“Even when she played hide-and-seek, she wanted to win every time. Even when she played chess with her dad, she wanted to win every time,” Morozova said. “In everything she was doing, she was trying to win.”
Why Rafael Nadal is Liutova’s tennis hero
But on the court, Liutova doesn’t focus on the results. Her mentality is to put in the work, and the scoreboard will take care of itself, the same mentality as her tennis hero.
“My favorite tennis player has always been Rafael Nadal, for his composure, for his hardworking character,” Liutova said. “He’s been through a lot of injuries, and the character is just shown in everything. He is just a great human as well, off the court. Always humble. Just an incredibly inspiring person and player.”
Liutova is keeping her overall tennis goals and dreams private for now, but she does reveal that she wants to inspire others. She also wants to take care of her mom, who has sacrificed so much to get her where she is today.
“I want to make sure that she’s happy, and in the future she has an easy life — a house, a cat — and just watch my matches with no worries and no pressure,” Liutova said.
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What’s next for Liutova at the US Open
Liutova plays Lola Radivojevic of Serbia in round 2 of qualifying on Wednesday.
Radivojevic beat Kajsa Rinaldo Persson of Sweden Tuesday in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.
