Anastasia Potapova opens up about emotional 2024 season that saw her divorce tennis star Alexander Shevchenko after one year of marriage
WTA
The 2024 season was full of highs and lows for Anastasia Potapova, as it saw the Russian tennis star's short-lived marriage to fellow tennis pro Alexander Shevchenko come to an end.
The couple made their relationship public in 2023, and would subsequently get married during the 2023 off-season. However, they would split up following the 2024 US Open, but wait till the end of the year to officially announce their separation.
Her family was a source of strength during the breakup, says Potapova
In an interview with Bolshe, Potapova stated she had no ill feelings towards Shevchenko but their problems could not be overcome. However, the World No.33 expressed her love for her family, who supported her during the break up process.
"I really wish Sasha—I can say it on camera, I’m not ashamed of these words—I really wish him all the best, and he deserves all the best." began the 23-year old. "I wish him all the best with his career, as well, because he’s very talented and he has to keep working and developing as a player. But I guess we had problems; some couples get over these problems, and some don’t. Unfortunately, we were one of the couples that didn’t.
“My team, my close ones, even me, we were all shocked by how mentally strong I could be. Every other person came to me and asked, ‘So what, you two broke up?’ On tour, outside the tour. Of course, it’s not really polite, but it’s life and people are curious. It’s like a TV show for them. I think I needed to put an end to it, to end things officially, so I wouldn’t get those questions anymore. I think that was the last step I needed to finally set myself free.
“My team, my close ones, even me, we were all shocked by how mentally strong I could be. Every other person came to me and asked, ‘So what, you two broke up?’ On tour, outside the tour. Of course, it’s not really polite, but it’s life and people are curious. It’s like a TV show for them. I think I needed to put an end to it, to end things officially, so I wouldn’t get those questions anymore. I think that was the last step I needed to finally set myself free.
"I have incredible parents, who understand me the way I am,” said Potapova, who is currently mounting a defense of her Upper Austria Ladies Linz title. “They never judge me, never judge my choices: ‘Wedding? Ok, we’ll have a wedding. Divorce? Sad, painful, but how we help you?’ Mom had a great relationship with Sasha; I hope she still does. She actually supported both me and Sasha, worked two jobs, so to speak, and I’m grateful to her for it.”
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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