Meet Anna Tabunshchyk

“Class of 2008”

Canada is a country built by immigration, and many of us (perhaps most of us) have parents or grandparents who became new Canadians. Couple that with the fact Tennis is a truly worldwide game, and it comes as no surprise that our ranking lists of high-performance players read like a directory from the United Nations. 

The Tabunshchyk family is a fine example of how immigration has enriched Canada and Canadian tennis. Although this story is about Anna, it can’t be told without including a little about her family. Just over 20 years ago, Kyrylo and Zoya – a theoretical physicist (PhD) and a doctor (MD) – came to Canada from Ukraine in search of greater possibilities for their young daughter. When Viktoriya (“Vita”) showed an interest in tennis, Kyrylo took an instructors certification and studied TPA videos in order to guide her. 

Fast forward several years and Kyrylo becomes vice president of ACE Tennis and receives a Tennis Canada Coaching Excellence Award, Zoya leads a Core Lab at McMaster University, and Vita becomes a Canadian junior champion in singles and doubles. She played junior Fed Cup with Leylah Fernandez, among many other international honors, and now has a Masters degree in computer engineering from MIT. 

Anna is the second child of the family, the first to be born in Canada. She’s followed by a sister, Sofia, and a brother, Roman. All speak fluent Ukrainian and also French – thanks to French immersion education in Burlington. Anna is in 10th grade, and has switched to online schooling this year in order to accommodate an ever-growing tennis schedule. 

For as long as she can remember, tennis has been a natural part of family life. When Vita and her father went to the courts, Anna wanted to be part of it and participated as much as her younger years would allow. Still to this day, tennis is a family event … a time of warmth and comfort. Dad plays, Mom plays, younger sister Sofia plays, and Roman (age 3) happily watches and cheers. 

Anna recalled that at first she enjoyed competing in matches more than the challenges of training. Then, in 2023, she sustained a muscle injury in her hip – enough to keep her off the court for a month. It was like a wake-up call. She was surprised at how much she missed the daily routine of training as well as going to tournaments. Once she was able to re-start, her dedication to training intensified. She was eager to regain lost ground and found herself able to put in more time with running and with gym work. The more she did, the better it felt. Set the alarm for 5:00 in order to be at the courts by 6:00? No problem! In fact, Anna professes to love the feeling of being on the court to start the day. It’s peaceful and beautiful. 

So what happens when you go into competition with a body that has significantly greater strength and endurance than before? The predictable outcome of better results did indeed occur. Anna found herself winning matches comfortably against players she’d lost to a year ago. “The progress over time feels amazing,” she said. “Seeing my game improve is the best motivator. I feel much more passionate about my tennis than I ever imagined.” 

It helps that a family friend is also a former ATP player and coach, and he seems to have the right vibe for Anna’s game. He lives far enough away that she sees him only occasionally, but they make good progress each time. “He supports me on the technical side, but also with strategy and with mental preparation. We work hard, but he always makes it fun.” 

Having a Dad who is also a coach can be good (or not), but in this case it’s definitely good. “Trust” is the word Anna uses when speaking of her father. “He wants the best for me” is the absolute given. They head to the courts together most mornings. Regular training fills each afternoon in the group dynamic of the ACE Academy, with a variety of coaches and other young players. 

What lies ahead? ITF Junior tournaments are definitely the current target. Anna won both the singles and the doubles at the J60 in Montreal in early-May, after finishing as the singles finalist at the J100 in Burlington in April. She’s entered in the J60 in Edmonton in early June, then will play two J100 events in the Dominican Republic in July. Success on the ITF Junior Circuit enhances her worldwide ranking, a necessary step for a player with ambitious goals. 

For Anna, her recent path has aroused a desire to see how far this can take her. With a strong will to work hard, to build strength, and to learn more and better every day, what might be accomplished? It’s the same question asked by every successful tennis player we see on TV. They set out to do the work and let the results take care of themselves. Anna Tabunshchyk is ready to join that parade. 

Asked about her role models among professional players, she mentions Roger Federer without hesitation : “He’s far above all the others.” Among the current women players, Leylah Fernandez and Coco Gauff both are admired for their tenacity and passion for the game. 

It’s wonderful to have this exceptional young woman as a player for SouthWest Region to cheer for. Please take with you, Anna, our very best wishes for every success and continued love for tennis. 

[Anna has a World Tennis Number (WTN) rating of 17.4, based on more than 650 match results.]