After spending time with her family in Ukraine and witnessing day-to-day life in the country, Anhelina Kalinina is back and drawing on memories of her upset of Petra Kvitova at Melbourne Park three years ago.
The former world No.25 can still feel the roar of a packed John Cain Arena amplified beneath a closed roof for the biggest Grand Slam moment in her career.
Rain had forced her match against two-time major champion and former Australian Open finalist Petra Kvitova indoors three years ago before the Ukrainian managed to hold her nerve for a third-round berth. It remains the furthest she has delved at a major.
Life has since thrown its fair share of challenges the 28-year-old’s way.
On Tuesday, she took her first step back towards a Grand Slam main draw since Roland Garros last year, following a 7-5 6-2 victory over 19th seed Joanna Garland.
After six months away from the sport – time to heal her body and refresh the mind – it was a welcome step forward.
“Actually, feeling fresh, very motivated," she said. "I was out due to health issues – it was a lot of things – so it was a pretty tough period. I kind of fixed everything good and I’m on my way back so every match is really important now.
“You just have to fight for this because it's starting again and it's not easy, but mentally I'm ready," she added. "I know what I should do on court."
Last season started on song when Kalinina reached the semifinals of a stacked Brisbane International draw before injuries eventually caught up with her in June at an ITF event in Bari, Italy.
The decision was made to take six months off before she returned to claim a WTA 125 event in Limoges, France in December.
“For sure it was mentally [beneficial] as well because I was five years on tour, I think a good level and nonstop,” she said. “I think it's also caused me some health issues, damage.
“Every year you have to prove yourself again starting from zero in Australia. So it was both mentally, physically, everything altogether.”
An added advantage of the extended time away was the chance to spend more time with family, a rare luxury for those on tour.
Though restorative and grounding, it came with a heavy burden given the ongoing conflict and occupation of Ukraine.
In the months following her win over Kvitova in 2023, Kalinina’s home city of Nova Kakhovka in the occupied Kherson Oblast was flooded after the Kakhovka Dam was destroyed.
A UN report found the flooding damaged 32,000 homes and left one million people without clean water – this on top of constant bombings, which eventually convinced her entire family to relocate to the capital, Kyiv. They were by no means out of the woods there.
“I spent two months in Ukraine [last year], but with family,” she said. “But under the rockets and bombs, it's not a good time. I couldn't sleep. I was not able to eat because I don't live in that environment. That's why I'm not used to this.
“My family and all Ukrainians, they get used to this, but I'm not, and for me it was shocking how people adapt to this and they're going to work, doing everything. So I was so shocked. I have no words for how strong Ukrainians are. It’s difficult for everyone there.”
These days, the world No.178 is primarily based between Slovakia and the US and, now healthy, is prepared again for life on the road.
The Netherlands’ Anouk Koevermans is next and while still two wins from her fifth straight main draw at Melbourne Park, memories of beating Kvitova three years ago fuel Kalinina’s challenge.
“She's a legend, she's an icon. So for me, that win was really... I still remember it – I don't remember the match, but I just remember the feeling when I went on court, not even because of the victory, but in general,” she said. “I went on John Cain Arena playing there with a full crowded stadium. It was just so enjoyable.”
Her post-match mantra then remains to this day – it’d be “absolutely stupid to look further” than her next match.
In other women’s first-round qualifying clashes on Tuesday, Australian wildcard Storm Hunter continued her comeback from a long-term Achilles injury with victory over Georgia’s Ekaterine Gorgodze, while Chloe Paquet won an all-French battle against former world No.10 Kristina Mladenovic.
Latvian former world No.11 Anastasija Sevastova succumbed to American Whitney Osuigwe, while China’s Zhuoxuan Bai saw off former AO junior champion Alina Korneeva.