The Kremlin Cup, known in Russian as Кубок Кремля (Kubok Kremlya), is a professional tennis tournament that was established in 1990. Held annually in Moscow, Russia, the event featured both men’s and women’s competitions until its suspension in 2022.

History

It was founded in 1990 in Moscow, Russia. Over its 34-year history, the event has seen 31 editions, with the most recent taking place in 2021.

Throughout its run, the tournament has been held at various venues in Moscow.

From 1990 to 2018, matches were played at the Olympic Stadium, providing a consistent home for nearly three decades. In 2019, the event temporarily moved to the Ice Palace Krylatskoye.

Since 2021, the Kremlin Cup has been hosted at two locations: the Irina Viner-Usmanova Gymnastics Palace and the Luzhniki Palace of Sports.

Surface

The playing surface of the tournament has also evolved over time.

From its inception in 1990 until 2006, matches were contested on indoor carpet courts. However, since 2007, the tournament has been played on indoor hard courts, aligning with many other professional indoor events.

Classifications

On the ATP Tour, the tournament has undergone several category changes.

From 1990 to 1999, it was part of the ATP World Series. From 2000 to 2008, it was classified as an ATP International Series event. Since 2009, it has been an ATP 250 series tournament.

The men’s event features a 28-player singles draw, a 16-player qualifying draw, and a 16-team doubles competition. In 2021, the total prize money for the men’s event was US$697,125.

The women’s event has also seen changes in its tour classification as well.

From 1997 to 2008, it held the prestigious status of a WTA Tier I tournament. Following the restructuring of the WTA Tour, it became a WTA Premier event from 2009 to 2021.

The women’s tournament structure includes a 28-player singles main draw, a larger 32-player qualifying draw, and a 16-team doubles event. The prize money for the women’s competition in 2021 was US$565,530.

Notable Players

Some of the more notable tennis players who have won titles at the Kremlin Open include Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Taylor Dent, Andrey Rublev, and Aslan Karatsev. Women’s champions include Belinda Bencic, Anett Kontaveit, Caroline Wozniacki, and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Notable doubles champions include Max Mirnyi, Philipp Oswald, Andrey Rublev, and Dmitry Tursunov. Women’s doubles winners include Martina Hingis, Flavia Pennetta, Shuko Aoyama, and Ena Shibahara.

Suspension

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) took decisive action regarding the Kremlin Cup.

The governing bodies of men’s and women’s professional tennis respectively made the decision to suspend the 2022 edition of the tournament.

This move was part of a broader set of measures taken by international sports organizations in reaction to the geopolitical situation, effectively putting the long-running Moscow-based tennis event on hold for that year.