As of today, the curtain falls on the 2025 WTA season, with no tournaments left on the calendar. The final chapter was written on Sunday at the WTA 125K Limoges, where Anhelina Kalinina outlasted Elsa Jacquemot in a gripping three-set final. And perhaps, the triumph carries deeper meaning, marking a powerful return for the Ukrainian months after stepping away with a devastating arm injury.

World No. 155 Kalinina won the final title of the 2025 season at the WTA 125 Limoges, defeating France’s Elsa Jacquemot, World No. 59 and the second seed, to close the year on a high note.

The final was intense and closely fought. Kalinina recovered from 3-5 down in the deciding set. She sealed the victory with a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 scoreline after showing strong resolve.

The Ukrainian had entered the season ranked inside the top 50. It marked her fourth straight year starting at that high. However, inconsistent results disrupted her early momentum. Her season took a major hit in June. A right arm injury forced her to retire at the WTA 125 tournament in Bari. She was unable to complete her match there.

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Kalinina later entered the main draw of Wimbledon 2025. She withdrew before playing. After that decision, she skipped the remainder of the 2025 season.

The long absence kept her out of competition for more than six months. She dropped out of the top 100 around May. By September, she had also fallen outside the top 150. Limoges became a crucial chance to earn late-season points.

At 28, Kalinina aimed to win the Limoges title for a second time. Her only previous Challenger-level title came there in 2022 against Clara Tauson. Since that win, she had reached two major finals. She lost the WTA 250 Budapest 2021 final to Yulia Putintseva (4-6, 0-6). In 2023, in Rome, she retired against Elena Rybakina (4-6, 0-1, ret.).

This week, she delivered a standout performance. Kalinina won five straight matches and beat four of the top five seeds. The run lifts her ranking to No. 127 and boosts her Australian Open qualifying hopes.

Kalinina rallies late to outlast Jacquemot in gripping final

Kalinina’s campaign began with a solid opening win over Liechtensteiner Kathinka Von Deichmann, ranked No. 222. The victory set the tone for a demanding and physically intense week in Limoges.

She then survived two difficult three-set battles. Kalinina edged World No. 74 Sonay Kartal 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-1. She followed that by defeating World No. 85 Alycia Parks 7-5, 1-6, 6-3. In the SF, she delivered one of her strongest performances. Kalinina upset top seed Cristina Bucsa, World No. 54, with a composed 6-4, 6-3 win to reach the final.

The final lasted more than two and a half hours and tested both players. Kalinina was broken early, and Elsa Jacquemot raced to a 3-1 lead in the opening set. The Ukrainian responded with authority. She improved her serving and won five consecutive games. That run included two breaks and allowed her to turn the set around and claim it 6-3.

She carried that momentum forward. Kalinina broke early again and moved ahead 2-0, extending her streak to seven straight games won across sets.

Jacquemot, however, fought back strongly. After a balanced second set, the Frenchwoman capitalised on Kalinina’s serving issues and broke in the 10th game to take the set 6-4. The deciding set opened evenly. Neither player faced a break point for several games. Jacquemot edged ahead 4-3 and later broke to lead 5-3, earning the chance to serve for the match.

Kalinina refused to back down. She raised her level under pressure, winning 16 of the final 21 points. Four straight games completed her comeback in the decider. She closed the match 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 to lift her second career WTA 125 title. 

The win ends her season positively after months away injured. With the ASB Classic starting January 5th, attention now turns to whether Kalinina can reach the Australian Open main draw.