At 41 years old, Vera Zvonareva's remarkable run at the ITF Dubai tournament has caught the attention of tennis legend Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who can't help but be amazed by her performance. Kafelnikov, a two-time Grand Slam champion himself, jokes that Zvonareva must be enjoying some magical 'rejuvenating apples' to keep her game so sharp at this age.
Zvonareva, a former world No. 2, returned to the court after an 18-month hiatus and has made it to the finals of both the singles and doubles events. In singles, she has defeated Tara Wurth, Tereza Martincova, and Sofya Lansere, and even survived a tough three-set battle against the rising star Mika Stojsavljevic, who is just 16 years old. Her doubles partnership with fellow Russian Rada Zolotareva has also been successful, winning three matches together so far.
The highlight of her run was defeating Stojsavljevic 6-3, 6-7, 6-4, a match that showcased her resilience and skill. This is her first singles final since 2020, and she will face another young opponent, 19-year-old Petra Marcinko, ranked No. 103 in the world. In the doubles final, Zvonareva and Zolotareva will face Gao Xinyu and Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
Kafelnikov, in an interview with Championat, expressed his admiration for Zvonareva's journey. "I don't understand what her secret is. If she's having fun and enjoying herself, that's fantastic. We should all be happy for her success and the joy she finds on the court. Why would we take that away?" he said.
This story raises an interesting question: Can age truly be just a number in sports? What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments!
