When it’s all over, Anastasija Sevastova could go down in history as the athlete with the best comeback history. The Latvian professional tennis player, who retired in 2013, has made a sensational return to the sport and is on the verge of claiming her first Grand Slam title after winning a few WTA titles.
Who is Anastasija Sevastova? Biography
Anastasija Sevastova was born on November 13, 1990 in Liepaja, Latvia. She started playing tennis around the age of 6 after her grandmother introduced her to the sport. She played tennis for fun until she was around 15 when she decided to make a career out of it. Her first notable match was at the Istanbul Cup in 2007, where she was able to win her first WTA match in the first round of the competition against Anastasiya Yakimova before losing her place in the next round.
In 2009, Sevastova was able to qualify for the main draw of the US Open. She then won her first match of the Grand Slam tournament to announce her arrival in the world of tennis. In 2010, the young Latvian was starting to earn a reputation as a giant killer as she beat a Top 10 ranked player in the first round of the Monterrey Open. A few weeks later, she upset another top seed at the Estoril Open before claiming the title in her first appearance in a WTA Finals.
In the 2011 and 2012 WTA tours, Anastasija Sevastova was slowly becoming a fan favorite as she put on performances that challenged her seasoned opponents. However, during this period, she suffered from a number of injuries and illnesses which prevented her from reaching great heights. This earned him a break from his career in May 2013.
Sevastova’s time on the bench lasted 19 months, after which she returned to the sport to make an appearance in a wildcard slot at the Sharm El Sheikh tournament in Egypt in January 2015. The year proved to be quite successful, as she won four ITF tournaments and reached the WTA semi-finals for the first time since 2013. In 2016, Sevastova who had been rejuvenated after a break from tennis reached the finals of the Mallorca Open and Bucharest Open, without however winning any. At the US Open later that year, she reached the quarter-finals of the tournament where she was eliminated by Caroline Wozniacki. Although she did not win, her performances that year culminated in her earning a new career ranking of 32.
Anastasija Sevastova kicked off 2017 by reaching the third round of the Australian Open. She then advanced to the Premier-5 semi-finals before winning the Mallorca Open, her first WTA title since 2010. Her rankings described her as she moved up to 17th place. In 2018, she won her third career title, WTA Bucharest Open and hopes to win her first Grand Slam at the US Open.
Anastasija Sevastova’s family – Parents
Nothing is known about Anastasija Sevastova, however, her father, her mother, named Diana Golovanova, is an English teacher at his home in Latvia. She shares the same birth name with Russian-Israeli singer and actress, Diana Golbi, who rose to fame after winning the eighth installment of the Israeli version of Pop Idol called Kokhav Nolad.
Sevastova’s mother was in the news in September 2016, after her first visit to her daughter’s career, she went to see her play at a Grand Slam. Golovanova proved to be the motivation her daughter needed as she boasted third seeded US Open Garbine Muguruza. It was also the first time in her career that she beat a top 5 player.
Another remarkable person in her worthy life mentioning her trainer and boyfriend, Ronald Schmidt. Schmidt, born on June 23, 1980 in Leoben (Austria), was responsible for overseeing his girlfriend’s return to tennis at the highest level after her long absence from the sport. The two have come a long way together and managed to keep their personal lives separate from their professional lives.
Height, weight and other facts
Birth name: Anastasija Sevastova
Date of birth: April 13, 1990
Place of birth: Liepāja, Latvia
Nationality: Latvian
Height: 5 feet 7 inches (1.69m)
Weight: 65 kg (143 lbs)