The Russian, who turned 41 in September, has been out of action since May 2024 and was thought to have retired. But earlier this month she took a wildcard to the ITF Dubai.
During her comeback in Dubai, Zvonareva absolutely impressed as she won four singles matches to reach the final before losing to Croatian rising star Petra Marcinko. The 41-year-old also reached the doubles final in Dubai with Rada Zolotareva – finishing second after failing to serve for the match.
Zvonareva made her debut with Shibahara at the Australian Open
When Zvonareva teams up with Shibahara, they debut as a couple. Shibahara, 27, has achieved remarkable success in doubles so far in her career, as she has won 11 titles in the competition and is ranked fourth in the world. She also reached the final of the 2023 Australian Open with Shuko Aoyama.
Vera Zvonareva returns to the WTA Tour for the 2026 season!
She has used her Protected Ranking to enter the Australian Open doubles draw alongside former Top 5 player Ena Shibahara. We can’t wait to see her again!
[đŸ“¸: Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge] pic.twitter.com/b3UP1yjF09
— WTARussians (@WTArussians) December 21, 2025
During her prime, Zvonareva enjoyed success in both singles and doubles at Melbourne Park – reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open singles in 2009 and 2011, while also winning the tournament in the doubles category with Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Zvonareva last played at Melbourne Park in 2022. That year, the Russian lost to Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the first round of singles and also had a round of 16 match with Viktoria Hruncakova in doubles.
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