For a player who has expressed her desire to win Grand Slam titles and rank world No.1, Armenia’s Elina Avanesyan casts a remarkably relaxed figure.
With just one full season on the WTA Tour, the 22-year-old has already claimed top-10 wins over Maria Sakkari, Ons Jabeur and Zheng Qinwen. There was another big-name upset as she outclassed No.4 seed Paula Badosa to reach the third round in her debut Brisbane International appearance on New Year’s Eve.
A relaxed approach is arguably fuelling progress against such high-profile opponents.
“They’re all legends for me,” she commented after a first-round win over Rebecca Sramkova in Brisbane on Sunday. “So, I have no pressure. I just go and just try to fight and give everything I have [and] try to do my best.”
MASSIVE upset to kickstart a crazy day on PRA 😲
Elina Avanesyan finishes 2024 in style with her first main-draw win in Brisbane ☀️#BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/oxakEKPbVr
— Brisbane International (@BrisbaneTennis) December 31, 2024
Another factor in Avanesyan’s recent rise into the world’s top 50 is her ability to combine her measured baseline game with an unyielding mindset. Both her wins in Brisbane this week have extended the full three-set distance.
“I never give up and that’s what matters in this sport,” said Avanesyan, when asked to describe her biggest strengths as a player.
“Like even if you’re down, you’re losing, or you have difficult situations in your way, it’s very important I think not to give up and keep fighting.”
Those qualities were clear as Avanesyan constructed fourth-round campaigns at Roland Garros in the past two seasons. At age 20 in 2022, she gained main-draw entry as a lucky loser and claimed an upset win over No.12 seed Belinda Bencic.
“The first time I played the fourth round was honestly very unexpected,” she recalled. “I was just there enjoying my second chance, and I think I did great. It gave me some confidence for the future, and I kept doing better and better.”
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It’s perhaps unsurprising that clay has since emerged as Avanesyan’s preferred surface. “I’m trying to improve myself on other surfaces, but I think clay’s still going to be the best surface for me,” she said.
And yet Avanesyan, who developed her game on indoor hard courts after following her sister into the sport as a six-year-old, is also proving no slouch on Australian surfaces.
Victory over No.8 seed Sakkari to reach the third round of Australian Open 2024 was a significant turning point. Ranked world No.74 at the time, it added to Avanesyan’s appreciation for this country.
“I love the atmosphere here,” said the Armenian, who is based in Alicante, Spain. “I cannot say I love the [hot] weather, but I do love the courts, the people, the food. I like everything here. I think it’s one of the best Grand Slams for me.”
Any off-court hours in Australia are especially enjoyable for Avanesyan. “I would love to have a very nice breakfast somewhere, just go for a walk with a cup of coffee,” she describes of a perfect day.
“If it would be in Australia, in Melbourne, I would love to go to the Botanic Gardens. It’s so nice, I go there almost every time I come to Melbourne. I just have fun with my friends, walk, eat, drink, and just rest not thinking about tennis and just enjoy my time.”