WTA Veronika Kudermetova

Veronika Kudermetova reveals why she has been out of the circuit for a whole year

Fernando Murciego - 22 Sep 2026
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Veronika Kudermetova reveals why she has been out of the circuit for an entire year. Source: Getty

Veronika Kudermetova has been out of competition for almost a year, and now, after many months of uncertainty, the reason is finally known. The 29-year-old Russian tennis player has announced that she is expecting her first baby, providing an explanation for her absence that began at the end of November, when she lifted the title at the WTA Finals alongside Elise Mertens.

Kudermetova's last match took place on November 8, 2025, in Riyadh. On that day, partnering with the Belgian, she won the doubles title at the Masters tournament after defeating Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic in the final. It was a perfect end to the season and, unbeknownst to her at the time, also the last chapter of her competitive career to date. Or perhaps she did know?

Since that match, the Russian has not appeared in an official tournament, dropping in the rankings to position #438 this week. Her absence has been news throughout 2026, fueling questions about her sporting future. Now, almost eleven months after that victory, Kudermetova has shared the news that explains her decision to temporarily step away from the circuit. Motherhood represents a new chapter for a player who has built much of her career around doubles, although she also reached the top 10 in singles and made it to the quarter-finals of Roland Garros in 2022. In doubles, she has achieved some of her greatest successes, including Grand Slam titles and, more recently, that crown at the WTA Finals alongside Mertens.

Her announcement comes at a time when more and more female tennis players have shown that motherhood and professional tennis do not have to be incompatible paths. Her return will now depend on her own timing and the decisions she makes in the coming months. Kudermetova already has a new challenge ahead and, after closing her last season as champion, she is set to begin a completely different phase.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Veronika Kudermetova desvela por qué lleva un año entero fuera del circuito