Liudmila Samsonova is a professional Russian tennis player born on November 11, 1998. Samsonova is well-known for her exceptional skills in both singles and doubles. Her career-best WTA rankings in singles and doubles are No. 12 and 40 respectively. Her WTA Tour accomplishments include five singles titles and two doubles titles, as of March 2025. She advanced to the quarterfinal at the Indian Well Masters in 2025, where she suffered a defeat against Aryna Sabalenka.
Samsonova emerged victorious at the 2024 Korea Open in doubles with Nicole Melichar-Martinez. She advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2024 Canadian Open and the 2024 Cincinnati Open, where she lost to Diana Shnaider and Aryna Sabalenka, respectively. She reached the semifinal of the 2025 Adelaide International but lost to Madison Keys due to injury.She reached the semifinal of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open, where she lost to Elena Rybakina. At the 2024 Stuttgart Open, she reached the quarterfinal with Diana Shnaider. Samsonova's best Grand Slam performance includes reaching the fourth round of the 2021 Wimbledon and 2022 US Open. Notably, Samsonova was crucial in helping the Russian team to a historic triumph in the 2020–21 Billie Jean King Cup, a feat that cemented her position as a major player in the world of tennis. She was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, as per WTA's official website.
Where does Liudmila Samsonova come from?
Liudmila Samsonova was born in Olenegorsk, Russia.
Samsonova’s family moved to Italy when she was just one year old. Her father Dmitry Samsonova, who was reportedly a table tennis player was given the opportunity to represent a Turin-based club Ferentino. She was encouraged to pick up either table tennis or lawn tennis by her father.
Samsonova reportedly began playing tennis at the age of six at Riccardo Piatti's academy in Sanremo. She played professional tennis for Italy up until 2018 before moving to the Russian Federation. She has acknowledged that she would have chosen figure skating if her parents had stayed in Russia. Her native tongue is Italian, but is also fluent in English and Russian.
Also Read: Liudmila Samsonova Parents
Why did Liudmila Samsonova change her nationality?
Liudmila Samsonova changed her nationality from representing Italy to Russia for a variety of reasons. It was reported in July 2021 that the stress of playing for the Italian national team, where tennis is more popular than in Russia, was overwhelming.
After she turned 18, the number of players switching to their Russian nationality influenced her decision even more. Her decision was further impacted by difficulties in getting an Italian passport as well as a lack of support from the Italian Tennis Federation as an immigrant. However, she continues to train abroad because she is reportedly unhappy with the professional tennis conditions provided by the Russian Tennis Federation.
FAQs on Liudmila Samsonova
A. Samsonova was born in Olenegorsk, Russia, but moved to Italy with her family at a young age.
A. Samsonova reportedly switched her flag from Italy to Russia due to pressure of playing for Italy and being influenced by other players' switches.
A. Liudmila Samsonova resides in Russia.
A. Liudmila Samsonova has endorsement deals with K-Swiss, Wilson and Liola Cosmetics.
