"Not sure if it was just a magical week in Dubai": Question marks on Anna Kalinskaya's next step from Roddick and Wertheim

Anna Kalinskaya heads into a new season perhaps with question marks as she navigates now being a top 15 player after a magical 2024 which saw her ascend to new heights. Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim assessed each player in turn during the 2024 season and there was question marks surrounding the next step.

For Roddick, it was whether she will be a top 15 or 45 player who fluctuates or whether her ceiling has not yet been reached. All questions likely to be answered with her new status in the game and now being injury free.

"She made a big jump this year. 38 wins, 19 losses again that two to one ratio is a real ratio. Someone 45, 50 in the world and she doubled it up so she was winning a lot more matches consistently than she was losing. Hits a huge ball off the ground," said Roddick on Served.

"Breakout year for her, she wants to build on that success right? Is she someone who is going to be a consistent performer in the top 15 with an eye on the top 10 or is she someone whose upside is 15 and maybe floats between 15 and 45."

But also for Wertheim, he wonders whether the Jannik Sinner of it all may have an effect to which Roddick said that she still had a great year during the circus that surrounded the pair dating so isn't sure how much it affects it.

"She had that magical week in Dubai where she beat Ostapenko, Coco, Iga. She lost to this little known player called Jasmine Paolini. I don't know to what extend Kalinskaya is sort of maxing out and is pushing against the upper limits of her potential. She's a top 15 player. I'm not sure she has the signature shots and the weapons. She's a nice athlete, I'm not sure if it was a magical week in Dubai or if this is someone who can get a lot higher than 14," said Wertheim.

"I do this guardedly and at our peril, what extent is it going to impact her career being the significant other of the number one player on the men's tour. Usually I'm reluctant to sort of talk about relationships and how they intersect with tennis but this seems like an extraordinary set of circumstances. I wonder how that might impact her 2025."

"Her significant other had a career year and props to her because she did too. Hopefully more to come for her."