State of Grace - Maria Kirilenko

Born in Moscow to Ukrainian parents in1987, Maria Kirilenko was introduced to tennis by her father Yuri. Maria and began playing at the tender age of 5. She immediately showed great promise for the future and left home for Ukraine at 13 to live and train away from her family and friends but closer to the action.

After decimating the junior ranks, the  5’8” right handed Russian bombshell first graced the woman’s professional tennis circuit in October 2001 at age 15 in a circuit event in Croatia. She began traveling the world the following year playing tournaments and soon gained sufficient points to qualify for her first Open event in Tokyo. Since then she has never looked back.

Maria was helped in her formative tennis years by Russian tennis greats Yevgeny Kafelnikov and “The Beast”” Max Mirnyi who had jointly created an organization supporting young players. With Such influence, in 2002 Maria is one of the youngest winners of both the U.S.

Open and Canadian Open Junior tournaments. Since turning pro, the stunning and cherubic Slavic beauty won her first professional title in the U.S. at the Open Tournament at Boca Raton, Florida after which she qualified for the U.S. Open where she made the third round losing to French woman Amelie Mauresmo.

The exquisitely proportioned Maria speaks both Russian and English and enjoys playing other sports including soccer. She spends her spare time reading, listening to classical music, watching movies, fishing and cooking in addition to developing a blossoming modeling career. Maria currently works with tennis coach Eric Van Harpen who at one time coached Wimbledon Champion Maria Conchita Martinez of Spain. Maria is good friends with fellow Russian Maria Sharapova and former doubles partners Gisela Dulko and Ana Ivanovic.


After winning her first Open title at Birmingham with doubles partner, the force of nature Maria Sharapova, in 2005 Maria made her most significant tennis breakthrough winning her first career tour singles title in Beijing and a second doubles title soon thereafter.

In July 2008 Maria reached #18, in the world, her career highest WTA singles ranking, and has so far won five Sony Ericsson WTA titles.

At this time the blossoming beauty was invited to become a part of Sports Illustrated Tennis Stars Swimsuit Issue along with fellow WTA stars the tantalizing Russian Tatiana Golovin and top ten ranked Slovak tennis sensation Daniela Hantuchova.

Shot in 10 days in the Dominican Republic, the article is entitled Volley of the Dolls and features Kirilenko’s fabulous abs in some of the most beautiful shots ever taken of the tennis prodigy. The three players join the society of tennis women greats who have posed for SI’ special athletes tennis issue which includes Steffi Graff, Serena and Venus Williams, Anna Kournikova and Maria Sharapova.

In 2006 Maria entered into an agreement with Adidas to be their tennis image for their line of tennis fashions from Stella McCartney. Commenting on the shoot and modeling, Maria says: “It is not easy! I know girls are working out hard, constantly dieting and traveling between continents, just like tennis players. Besides, their professional age is too short and they have to make the most of it while they are young. We only see the glamorous part of it, but I know there is “sweat and blood” behind it.

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Favorite places include San Diego, California and Odessa on the Black Sea where she calls training headquarters. Her tennis idols include American Jennifer Capriati and the fearsome Russian Kafelnikov.

True to form as a professional athlete, in response to the question of what makes her feel sexy, Maria replied: “…being a professional athlete and being able to perform on the court, especially when I have good results, makes me feel special.”

With admittedly many more goals to achieve, and still working hard to get there, Maria still dreams of winning the major titles and getting as close to the top ranking as possible.