American tennis player Katie Volynets was born in Walnut Creek, California, to her parents, Andrey and Anna Volynets, who immigrated from Ukraine to the United States in 1996.
The talented tennis player’s father worked as an anesthesiologist. On the other hand, her mother was a master level swimmer.
She has one older brother, Andrey, who is an electrical engineer. As of a 2017 report, Andrey was living in Dallas. Her brother also played tennis when he was young. Andrey played club tennis while attending UC Davis.
On September 27, 2025, American tennis player Katie Volynets began her China Open campaign against 15th seed Belinda Bencic.
Although she lost in straight sets, Volynets showed her usual determination on court.
At just 22 years old, she continues to build experience on the WTA Tour, where she is recognized for her steady baseline game and hard-fought performances.
Katie’s interest in tennis was sparked by her parents and older brother accidentally. Her dad and older brother would play tennis as a means of passing the time and for some fun.
One day, when young Katie got bored with her coloring books, she asked her dad, “Can I borrow your racquet? Can I try?” Volynets was only five years old back then.
"I took my dad's racquet and tried to hit a few balls and really, really liked it. Soon, my dad got me a little racquet, and I was really excited to try. Ever since then, I've loved it,"
-Katie VolynetsAt the beginning, they just hit the ball around inside the house, aiming for her dad’s hand – even though there was a chandelier above them, which made it a funny and risky place to practice.
Later, she began formal lessons at Heather Farms Park. After that, she trained at Moraga Country Club, where her tennis became more serious.
Furthermore, she chose tennis over swimming. Her mother was a good swimmer, but Katie didn’t enjoy it as much as her mom did.
She even pretended to have stomach aches so she could skip swimming practice. Katie explains that swimming felt too repetitive for her, while tennis was exciting because every shot is different.
“In tennis, you don’t repeat one shot over and over. Nothing against swimming, but for me personally, I felt that you just take one lap, two laps, three laps, four different strokes,” she explained.
Katie Volynets Has Her Extended Family In Ukraine
Volynets frequently visited Ukraine as a child to meet her cousins and grandparents. Not only that, but she has also been to the war-torn nation after Wimbledon 2021.
The former World No. 56 gets special support from her extended family, who still live there, particularly in Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk.
It is the very place where Russian missiles have hit after Moscow’s invasion and which Russia calls a special military operation.
“I have a lot of cousins in Ukraine, and actually, they watch every match. They usually write me and I communicate with them. It’s really special,” the tennis player said.
In an interview, the talented tennis player said that it’s a really difficult time for Ukraine.
She explained that life in Ukraine had once been normal—people could move freely and go about their daily lives—but now, each day felt uncertain.
She said she truly felt for those living through the challenges and was grateful for the support they showed her despite the situation.
Whenever she stepped onto the court, she hoped she was giving back to them in some way, staying strong for everyone who was watching.
Volynets also added that she put politics aside when it came to her relationships with other players.
Even though she worried about her family in Ukraine, she did not hold anything against her fellow professionals and focused on tennis during matches.
She described playing tennis as a way to remain connected to her roots and to honor the people she cared about.
Every match, she said, was more than just a game—it was a chance to show resilience and determination in the face of uncertainty and to represent her loved ones with strength and focus.
In Case You Don’t Know
- Katie Volynets speaks Ukrainian, Russian, and English fluently.
- She grew up speaking Russian at home and learned English at school.
- As of early 2023, she was studying business administration at Indiana University East through a program offered in partnership with the WTA.
