Elina Avanesyan and Alina Charaeva name Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as their main goal

Armenian national tennis team players Elina Avanesyan (WTA 159) and Alina Charaeva (WTA 108) have stated that their main goal for the coming years is to secure Olympic qualification spots and represent Armenia at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The athletes met with media representatives in Yerevan during a press conference organized by the initiative of the Keron Development Foundation and the Tennis Federation of Armenia. During the meeting, they spoke about competing under the Armenian flag, their professional careers, and future plans.

Avanesyan, who has represented Armenia at international competitions since August 2024, said that participating in the Olympics is one of the biggest goals of her career.

“We just need to continue working hard, put in a little more effort and climb higher in the rankings so that eventually we can make it to the Olympics. Winning the Billie Jean King Cup with the Armenian team and reaching the next stage is something I will never forget,” Avanesyan said.

In June 2026, the tennis player made her debut for Armenia’s women’s national team at the Billie Jean King Cup tournament in San Marino. Following the competition, the Armenian team earned promotion to the second group.

Avanesyan admitted that she enjoys representing the national team and continues to learn Armenian.

“I am very excited. I have a wonderful team, and all our girls are great,” the tennis player said.

According to Elina, she has already learned 22 letters of the Armenian alphabet. She explained that as a child she communicated with her parents in the Artsakh dialect, but did not have full command of the Armenian language.

Charaeva, who will represent Armenia starting from 2026, also highlighted her Olympic ambitions.

“For me, this is the biggest goal — to reach the Olympics in Los Angeles. It will be something special for Armenia. I hope to win a medal for this beautiful country. Now we need to try to improve our rankings so that we can qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games,” Charaeva said.

The 24-year-old tennis player received Armenian citizenship and has already started competing under the Armenian flag at international tournaments. Previously, she achieved high positions in the ITF junior rankings, reaching 12th place.

Charaeva said that it was her first visit to Armenia and that she was impressed by the welcome.

“People here have incredible warmth that cannot be described in words. It is a great honor for me to represent Armenia,” she said.

During the meeting, the athletes also discussed the development of tennis in Armenia. Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan emphasized the importance of Avanesyan and Charaeva’s performances in increasing Armenia’s visibility on the international stage.

She noted that the success of Armenia’s men’s and women’s national teams demonstrates the potential for further development of the sport. The women’s team previously earned promotion to the second group of the Billie Jean King Cup, while the men’s team achieved promotion after a successful Davis Cup campaign.

President of the Tennis Federation of Armenia Vardan Zakaryan spoke about plans to develop tennis infrastructure in Yerevan. The sides also discussed promoting tennis among children and organizing events involving famous athletes.

After their visit to Armenia, Avanesyan and Charaeva will travel to Brazil, then participate in tournaments in Asia, including competitions in China and Korea. Later, they will prepare for the new season and compete at the Australian Open.

The main task for the Armenian tennis players over the next two years will be improving their rankings, which will allow them to compete for qualification spots at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.