"We had problems" - Anastasia Potapova breaks silence on divorce with ex-husband Alexander Shevchenko
Anastasia Potapova has opened up about her split from ex-husband Alexander Shevchenko, revealing the reasons behind their separation. She explained that they faced issues they ultimately couldn't resolve, leading to their decision to part ways.
In December 2023, Potapova and Shevchenko announced their marriage on Instagram, just months after getting engaged in September. That year was also a career highlight for both, as they enjoyed their best seasons on tour.
Rumors of their split began when the Russian deleted all photos with the Kazakh from her Instagram and unfollowed him. Shevchenko later unfollowed her as well, adding to the speculation.
Potapova has now commented on their divorce, which took place after the 2024 US Open. In an interview with Bolshe, she admitted feeling "disappointed" by the fallout but accepted it as part of life and moved on.
“I made some shockingly big decisions at the end of the year," she said. "But like I mentioned, that’s life. Unfortunately, things like that happen and you have to accept it. Of course, I’m very disappointed it all went the way it did."
She added:
“I really wish Sasha—I can say it on camera, I’m not ashamed of these words—I really wish him all the best, and he deserves all the best. I wish him all the best with his career, as well, because he’s very talented and he has to keep working and developing as a player."
"But I guess we had problems; some couples get over these problems, and some don’t. Unfortunately, we were one of the couples that didn’t," she continued.
Anastasia Potapova: "My close ones were all shocked by how mentally strong I could be"
In the same interview with Bolshe, Potapova shared how she coped with the separation.
She revealed that both she and those around her—her family and team—were surprised by her mental resilience. Despite the personal turmoil, she continued competing in secret while deflecting questions about their relationship.
“My team, my close ones, even me, we were all shocked by how mentally strong I could be,” she said. "Every other person came to me and asked, ‘So what, you two broke up?’ On tour, outside the tour."
She added:
"Of course, it’s not really polite, but it’s life and people are curious. It’s like a TV show for them. I think I needed to put an end to it, to end things officially, so I wouldn’t get those questions anymore. I think that was the last step I needed to finally set myself free."
Potapova and Shevchenko were childhood friends, having known each other since they were nine. However, their romantic relationship only began in early 2023.