Anastasia Zakharova has taken a gradual route through professional tennis, building her reputation through the ITF circuit before establishing herself more regularly at WTA-level events. Her breakthrough has come through big results.
One of the defining moments of her rise came in 2024, when she reached the third round of the Australian Open, her best Grand Slam singles result. She continued to make progress in 2025, reaching her first WTA semifinal.
Her progression continued into 2026, with notable wins over players such as Anna Kalinskaya and Dayana Yastremska, including a three-hour victory against the Ukrainian in Rome.
How old is Anastasia Zakharova?
Anastasia Zakharova is 24 years old. The Russian tennis player was born on January 18, 2002, in Volgograd, Russia.
Anastasia Zakharova in the Women’s Singles First Round match on day 3 of 2025 China Open (Source: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
She has spent the past few seasons gradually moving up the professional ranks, turning herself from a player mainly competing on the ITF and lower-level WTA circuits into a regular presence in major tournaments.
How tall is Anastasia Zakharova?
Anastasia Zakharova is listed at 5-foot-7 (1.70 meters). Her height has been part of a game that has developed around aggressive baseline tennis.
In an interview with Russian outlet Championat, she explained that she enjoyed hitting the ball hard when she first picked up a racket and that she particularly likes facing players who use an attacking style similar to her own.
What is Anastasia Zakharova’s current ranking?
Anastasia Zakharova is ranked No. 101 in the WTA singles rankings. The WTA’s ranking data lists her at No. 101 for the week of August 24, 2026, although she has been significantly higher during the season.
She reached a career-high No. 65 in singles in 2026, marking the highest position of her career. Her ranking has moved considerably throughout the year: she was No. 79 at the start of the season, climbed into the 70s and reached No. 65 before dropping back outside the Top 100 later in the summer.
The trajectory nevertheless represents a major improvement from where she stood a few years ago. She finished 2023 ranked No. 194, improved to No. 109 at the end of 2024 and ended 2025 at No. 101, while her best ranking during 2025 was No. 79.
At what age did Anastasia Zakharova start playing tennis?
Anastasia Zakharova started playing tennis when she was eight and a half years old. She has described that age as relatively late compared with many professional tennis players, but she quickly developed a passion for the sport.
Before tennis, she tried other sports. She told Championat that she began swimming at four and spent time practicing judo before discovering tennis at a section located near her judo training.
Anastasia Zakharova during Day 1 of the J&T Banka Ostrava Open 2021 (Source: Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty Images)
Once she picked up a racket, she immediately enjoyed hitting the ball and decided she wanted to continue with tennis. By the age of nine, she was already attempting to play tournaments.
Her father, Vladimir Zakharov, is currently her coach, while her mother is Alexandra Zakharova. That family connection has remained part of her professional career as she has progressed through the rankings.
How much prize money has Anastasia Zakharova earned?
Anastasia Zakharova has earned more than $1.7 million in career prize money. That figure has grown rapidly as she has established herself at higher-level tournaments. Check her prize money breakdown by year:
- 2026: $585,304
- 2025: $527,018
- 2024: $335,362
- 2023: $97,382
Anastasia Zakharova’s career highlights
- First steps on the professional circuit: Zakharova played her first ITF match in 2017, at just 15 years old. She reached her first ITF final in 2019 at the Shymkent W15 before winning her first professional title at the same venue later that year.
- Breaking into the WTA level: Her first WTA main-draw appearance came in 2021 in Gdynia, where she entered as a lucky loser. She also qualified for the main draw at tournaments in Luxembourg, Ostrava and Nur-Sultan that season, marking the beginning of her regular presence at tour-level events.
- First Grand Slam main draw: Zakharova made a significant breakthrough at the 2024 Australian Open, successfully coming through qualifying to reach her first Grand Slam main draw. She then advanced to the third round, defeating Magdalena Fręch in a three-set match before her run ended against Emma Navarro. It remains her best Grand Slam singles result.
- First WTA Tour semifinal: In 2025, Zakharova reached the semifinals of the Cleveland tournament, the first WTA Tour semifinal of her career. She defeated Hailey Baptiste in the quarterfinals, recording her second Top 50 victory of that season, before losing to eventual champion Sorana Cirstea.
- Big win over Donna Vekic: Her 2025 season also produced her first Top 30 victory, when she defeated Donna Vekic in the opening round of the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club. The win was particularly notable because it was also Zakharova’s first victory on grass at WTA Tour level.
- Career-high ranking: Zakharova reached No. 65 in the WTA singles rankings in 2026, the highest position of her career. That rise represented another step in her progression after she made her Top 100 debut in June 2025 and previously peaked at No. 79 that year.
- Progress at major tournaments in 2026: She also reached the round of 32 at two WTA 1000 events during the 2026 season, while making the semifinals of the Istanbul WTA 125. Those results helped consolidate her position closer to the Top 100 and showed that her progress was not limited to one standout tournament.
