In 2020, Kristina Liutova was only 10 years old when she moved from Moscow to Redmond, Washington. Along with her, she carried a heavy racket bag and a big dream. Six years later, her dream is more than just a mere hope of achievement. The only thing left is to execute years of hard work on the biggest tennis stage.

Liutova, now 16, is a young tennis star playing in the qualifying rounds of the U.S. Open in New York. Her progression from a promising junior to a history-creating player happened at a rapid pace. When she entered the Memphis Classic earlier this year, she was ranked 229th in the world. 

Aiming for a title in her first main draw match at tour level wasn’t really on her bingo card. However, Liutova won the qualifying rounds and claimed the title in her first tour-level event, becoming the youngest active WTA champion and the first player born in the 2010s to win a tour-level event.

For people who had watched her grow up, that breakthrough seemed like it was meant to happen.

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Dmitry Tursunov, a former ATP world No. 20 who coached Aryna Sabalenka, spotted Liutova’s raw talent first and sent her to the Gorin Tennis Academy in Washington.

After she arrived in the US, her former coach, Ilya Osintsev, was amazed by her technical accuracy and strong competitive spirit. 

“I was genuinely surprised, pleasantly surprised, and shocked to see how an 11-year-old girl can play at such a high level already. I’ve never seen that before,” Osintsev said. “And then when we started working together, when I realized how competitive she is, the same thing. I’ve never seen any player being that competitive. Every single point, every single game, and every single match. She’s just such an amazing competitor.” 

Channeling her inner Nadal

Her grit developed well before she took up racket sports. Her mother, Elena Morozova, remembered that Kristina always showed championship intensity even when playing other childhood games.

“Even when she played hide-and-seek, she wanted to win every time. Even when she played chess with her dad, she wanted to win every time,” Morozova said. “In everything she was doing, she was trying to win.” 

Even though she is now in the spotlight, Liutova’s behavior is still remarkably steady. She bases her attitude when playing on Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

“My favorite tennis player has always been Rafael Nadal, for his composure, for his hardworking character,” Liutova said. 

Now, as she heads to Flushing Meadows, the 16-year-old looks forward to a deep run at the U.S. Open.

For that teenager from Redmond, the U.S. Open is not the end; it is only the beginning of the most remarkable breakthrough journeys that the WTA Tour has witnessed in recent years.