Tennis Star Elina Avanesyan: “Every Armenian Win Tells the World Who We Are”

Elina Avanesyan, the rising tennis star with roots in Artsakh, is making history as the first Armenian woman to break into the world’s tennis elite. In an exclusive interview with The Armenian Report, the 22-year-old shared how her Armenian identity fuels her fight on the court and why representing Armenia is more than just a sporting choice—it is an act of pride and resistance.

Avanesyan, born in Russia but from an Artsakh Armenian family, said her heritage plays a constant role in motivating her.

“Everybody from Armenia inspires me and I've actually had an event with the kids from Artsakh myself last year and it really means a lot to me to meet them to have this experience,” she told The Armenian Report.

When she officially switched her flag to Armenia, it was described as a historic milestone. For Avanesyan, carrying the Armenian tricolor on the international WTA stage was both nerve-wracking and deeply meaningful.

“It's a big honor for me and I was really nervous when I was representing Armenia for the first time because I wanted to do really well and I had a lot of extra motivation because of that,” she explained.

For many Armenians, every victory by an Armenian athlete is a symbolic act against efforts to erase Armenian identity. Avanesyan fully agrees.

“Yes, I think with the wins I may have in the future, people around the world will learn more about Armenia. The most important thing is for Armenian kids to go out, see me representing Armenia in sports, and show everyone around the world who Armenians truly are.”

To Armenian youth dreaming of competing on the world stage, Avanesyan offered words of encouragement.

“I think one of the most important things is to keep believing and keep working hard. Even though life can be really difficult, if you keep reaching for your dreams, anything can happen,” she said.

Now that she competes for Armenia, Avanesyan is committed to strengthening her connection to the homeland.

“Yes, definitely. That’s why I’m coming to Armenia—we have a lot of events every year. I’m going to be here and try to do as many things as possible to show that connection. The Armenian language is really difficult for me right now because I’m not in the environment, since I travel a lot. But in the future, I think it will be a good thing to learn,” she said.

Avanesyan has already left her mark at the sport’s highest levels, reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2023. While clay courts have brought her the most success so far, she said she is eager to prove herself across all surfaces.

“I think I just haven’t had many opportunities to show that I can be good on other surfaces as well. For some reason, clay has worked really well for me, and I hope it continues like that. I also want to show that I can perform on other surfaces too.”

Looking ahead, Avanesyan has big dreams—not just for herself, but for Armenia.

“Well, from my side, I would of course like to win a Grand Slam and an Olympic medal, because I think it would mean a lot—not only for me, but also for the country.”

Avanesyan named Roland Garros as a particularly special tournament in her career.

“Well, Roland Garros is pretty special for me because I’d say the beginning of my career happened there. I also really enjoy being in Australia—the tournaments there are really nice.”

While she laughed off a question about her “male tennis crush”—“Well, all of them. They’re all doing very good if you’re talking about their careers. Otherwise, I don’t know, I can’t answer that right now. I’ll think about it, thank you”—Avanesyan left no doubt that her focus is on making history for Armenia.

By choosing to represent Armenia on the global stage, Elina Avanesyan is not only chasing her own dreams—she is carrying the hopes of an entire nation and showing the world that Armenians are here to win.

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