Hi Everyone!

I hope you are all doing well… I am at home in Minsk, Belarus which is AMAZING! It feels really good to be home… as you probably know tennis player’s schedules are extremely busy so whenever I can get home it really is special. When I am at home it is my time to rest and relax… and go SHOPPING!! It was a really long year but I am happy to be taking a little break. 2007 was a breakout year for me on the WTA Tour. I am starting to gain more confidence and I truly feel that I belong in the Top 10… which is my goal for next year.

One of my main focuses now is having a really good off-season, really focusing on fitness and development. Tennis is such a demanding and physical sport that you have to be in the best shape possible to give yourself the best chance to succeed. Last year at this time I was playing too many matches and I was not able to concentrate on my pre-season workouts. Now that I am finally 18 years old (yay!), I can play a full schedule on the WTA Tour… so I will need to be physically ready. I will travel to the Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Florida on November 4th to begin my training. My good friends the Khabibulin’s have an apartment at Saddlebrook so I will have a nice place to stay…oh and my mom will be coming with me too! Many of the top players train in Florida because of the weather… it is generally hot and humid – and if you can succeed in those conditions then when you travel to play tournaments you will be 100% ready. My coach Antonio Van Grichen, who lives in Portugal, will also meet me at Saddlebrook to get me ready for 2008.

As soon as I have information on my 2008 schedule I will be sure to post it on the website…. until next time…

Take care,
Vika

Hi Everyone!

I’m writing from Moscow, where I have been playing a tournament all week. The Kremlin Cup is one of my favorite tournaments of the year because it’s close to my home in Belarus, and my family and friends travel to support me. I had a great week here, beating Maria Sharapova in the second round. That was probably the biggest win of my career so far. I have been playing great lately and on Monday I will be ranked inside the Top 30!!! After this tournament, I will take some time off before I begin to prepare for the Australian season. Last year I continued to play late into the season and it hurt my preparation for this season. I want to avoid that this year and really focus on being 100 percent ready. I am very excited for next year because I really feel that I can be in the Top 10… well at least that is my goal!

Everything else has been good. My boyfriend Sergei has also been here with me all week, which has been great :)

Til next time, take care.