History of Liudmila Samsonova in Timeline

Liudmila Samsonova is a Russian professional tennis player who has achieved a career-high ranking of No. 12 in singles and No. 40 in doubles on the WTA tour. Her success in both singles and doubles highlights her versatility as a tennis player.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

November 1998: Liudmila Samsonova Born

In November 1998, Liudmila Dmitrievna Samsonova was born in Russia.

Others born on this day/year

2008: Russia's Billie Jean King Cup Triumph

In 2008, Russia had its first triumph since in the Billie Jean King Cup.

2013: Professional Debut

In 2013, Samsonova made her professional debut at consecutive ITF Circuit tournaments in Umag, but lost her both singles qualifying matches.

2014: Competes for Italy

In 2014, Liudmila represented Italy in professional tennis.

2014: First ITF Title and WTA Ranking Debut

In 2014, Samsonova won her first ITF title at a $10k event in Rome, leading to her debut on the WTA rankings at the 960th spot.

July 2016: Highest ITF junior ranking

On 18 July 2016, Samsonova reached her highest ITF junior ranking, peaking at the 65th spot on the rankings.

2016: Returns to Top 1000

Towards the end of 2016, Samsonova returned to the top 1000 after reaching the final of an $10k event in Solarino.

2017: Breakthrough on ITF Circuit

In 2017, Samsonova reached three $15k finals in Hammamet, Pula and Mâcon, nearly halving her ranking.

2018: Switches to Russian Flag

In 2018, Liudmila switched to representing Russia in professional tennis.

2018: Ends time competing for Italy

In 2018, Samsonova stopped competing for Italy.

2018: First $25k Title

In 2018, Samsonova won her first $25k title at the Open Castilla y León, defeating Başak Eraydın in the final.

June 2019: Career High Ranking

On 10 June 2019, after qualifying for the French Open and losing in the first round, Samsonova reached a new career-high ranking of world No. 153.

2019: Failed to Qualify

In 2019, Samsonova failed to qualify for the main draw at the Qatar Ladies Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the tour to go on a hiatus for a couple of months.

2019: Palermo Ladies Open

In 2019, Samsonova took part in the qualifying rounds of Palermo Ladies Open and qualified for the main draw.

2020: Billie Jean King Cup

During the 2020-21 Billie Jean King Cup, Samsonova led the Russian team to their first triumph since 2008.

2020: Melbourne Main Draw Qualification and Fastest Serve Record

In 2020, Samsonova qualified for the main draw in Melbourne for the first time. During the tournament, Samsonova also set the record of hitting the fastest serve on the women's side.

June 2021: First WTA Tour Title and Career-High Ranking

In June 2021, Samsonova won her maiden WTA Tour title at the German Open in Berlin, leading to a career-high ranking of world No. 63 on June 21, 2021.

July 2021: Explains Decision to Compete for Russia

In July 2021, Samsonova explained that she switched to competing for Russia because of the extra pressure of competing for Italy and the lack of support from the Italian Tennis Federation.

October 2021: Clarifies Citizenship Status

In October 2021, Samsonova clarified that she never had Italian citizenship and therefore never had to choose between flags.

2021: Leads Russian Team to Billie Jean King Cup Triumph

During the 2020–21 Billie Jean King Cup, Samsonova led the Russian team to their first triumph since 2008, winning all five of her matches in both singles and doubles.

2021: Wins WTA 500 Title at German Open

In 2021, Liudmila Samsonova won her first WTA Tour title, which was a WTA 500 title at the German Open.

2021: Billie Jean King Cup Finals

In 2021, Samsonova has competed for the Russian team since 2021, securing her first nomination at the 2020–21 Billie Jean King Cup Finals where she was the fifth-ranked singles player for Russia.

May 2022: Top 25 Ranking

In May 2022, Samsonova reached the top 25 after a semifinal showing at the Stuttgart Grand Prix which she lost to Iga Świątek.

February 2023: Career-High Rankings in Singles and Doubles

On 27 February 2023, Samsonova reached new career-high rankings of world No. 12 in singles and No. 59 in doubles after winning the doubles title at Dubai with Veronika Kudermetova.