Anna Kalinskaya shares surprising reason her boyfriend walked out during tense French Open battle

Anna Kalinskaya had a memorable run at the French Open, but one unexpected moment during her fourth-round match quickly became a talking point. The Russian tennis star revealed that her boyfriend had to leave the stadium with their dog Bella after the pet barked during an important point of the match. The incident happened during Anna Kalinskaya’s fourth-round win over fellow Russian player Anastasia Potapova at Roland Garros. Speaking to Tennis Channel after the match, Kalinskaya said Bella’s barking distracted her at a key moment and even affected one of her shots. To avoid further interruptions, her boyfriend took the dog out of the stadium.

Dogs have become a familiar sight at this year’s French Open. Tournament organizers allowed several players to bring their pets to Roland Garros as a way to provide comfort and emotional support during the two-week Grand Slam event. According to French Open officials, 10 dogs received special accreditations to enter the grounds.

Anna Kalinskaya explains how Bella’s barking affected her French Open match against Anastasia Potapova

While talking to Tennis Channel, Anna Kalinskaya shared exactly what happened during the match. “She could not watch because she barked in the first set, that was why my match was not very joyful. “She actually barked and I missed the ball into the net. It was actually quite an important point. But then my boyfriend left the stadium with her.”

Despite the distraction, Kalinskaya stayed focused and battled through a tough match. She defeated Anastasia Potapova 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 to reach her first French Open quarterfinal. After the win, she jokingly said the tournament should continue offering its special dog-walking service for players.


Her impressive run ended in the quarterfinals, where Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska beat her 7-6, 6-3.

The French Open had already made it clear that dogs were welcome only if they behaved properly. Speaking earlier in the tournament, players’ support and relations manager Kildine Chevalier explained that pets could enter players’ areas and even sit courtside in players’ boxes, but barking was not acceptable.

“The dog accreditations are a bit of fun, it’s real but not real, it’s a great souvenir,” Chevalier said. “The players have loved it. “Dogs have gone into the players’ box courtside and that’s not ideal. It is fine if they do not bark.”

Several other players also brought their dogs to Roland Garros, including world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Anastasia Potapova, Marta Kostyuk and Belgian player Zizou Bergs.