Former world No. 9 Veronika Kudermetova has announced she is pregnant and expecting her first child with her husband and longtime coach, Sergey Demekhine. The 29-year-old tennis star shared the joyful news on social media, posting a black-and-white photo showing off her baby bump as she is embraced by the baby’s father. She captioned the post simply: “Waiting for a miracle.”
The happy news sheds new light on Kudermetova’s extended absence from the sport. She has been completely sidelined for the 2026 tennis season following an undisclosed surgery and medical procedure around the New Year, which initially forced her sudden withdrawal from the Australian Open and triggered an indefinite hiatus from the WTA Tour.
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The last singles match Kudermetova played was in October 2025 at the Ningbo Open, while in doubles she closed the season on a triumphant note, capturing the WTA Finals Riyadh title alongside Elise Mertens.
Demekhine, a former professional player and prominent tennis coach, has been a constant presence throughout Kudermetova’s career. The couple, who have been married since 2017, have built a successful professional partnership alongside their personal relationship. Kudermetova was just 15 when Demekhine, 13 years her senior, became her coach. Three years later, they began dating.
“At the age of 16 I just liked him but I didn’t even think about anything more. […] Even when I turned 18 and we started dating, sometimes I was still ashamed because of the age difference and the fact that he was my coach” Kudermetova once revealed.
With a baby on the way, the tennis community was quick to send its warmest wishes to the couple. Aryna Sabalenka, Caroline Garcia, Belinda Bencic, Anastasia Potapova, Elena Vesnina, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova were among the first to publicly congratulate the parents-to-be.
