Vlada Ekshibarova

Ekshibarova was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and began playing tennis at age six.[1] Her introduction to the sport came under unusual circumstances: her father, Alex, first brought her to a tennis court after dreaming that his daughter was playing the game.[1] She marks January 15, 1996, as the precise date her tennis career began.[1]

By the age of 17, she had climbed to approximately No. 350 in the world rankings, but personal difficulties interrupted her progress and she stopped training with her father.[1] In the years that followed, she lived in Cyprus and Russia and worked with different coaches.[1] She also maintained a connection to Israel during this period, having visited the country many times with her mother; at 18, she competed in Futures tournaments in Ramat Hasharon and Ra'anana.[1]

Ekshibarova immigrated to Israel from Uzbekistan roughly a year and a half before a January 2018 profile, using the Law of Return on the basis of her Jewish mother.[1] She received Israeli citizenship in 2016 and, as reported in December 2017, was expected to become eligible to represent Israel in Fed Cup competition in 2018.[2]

After arriving in Israel, she began working with Kosta Miller, the manager of the tennis club at Kfar Maccabiah, who coached and assisted her without charge.[1] The Israeli Tennis Association also provided support in the form of five rackets and a bag — equipment she was still using a year and a half after her arrival.[1]

Ekshibarova's early years in Israel were defined by severe financial strain. She initially rented a small apartment in Ramat Gan for 3,000 shekels a month, but when her money ran out she was reduced to sleeping in the building's corridor with her belongings before people helped arrange a room for her at the Kfar Maccabiah hotel, where she had been staying for six months at the time of her January 2018 interview.[1]

The pressures extended to her professional preparation: she could afford a massage only twice a month despite wanting one twice a week, and the cost of travel and daily survival competed directly with her athletic goals.[1] "Instead of concentrating only on tennis, every day I have to think about how to survive, how to save enough to get by and have money to reach the next tournament," she said.[1] She identified sponsorship to travel with a coach as a critical need, alongside ambitions to crack the world's top 100 and qualify for the French Open and Wimbledon, with reaching the top ten as a longer-term goal.[1]

Several days after the interview was published, Ekshibarova secured a sponsorship agreement with BG Bond for 2018.[1] Israeli Tennis Association chairman Yoni Yarum expressed hope that the support would help her improve her world ranking and settle in Israel.[1]

Ekshibarova won the Israeli women's national tennis championship in December 2017, defeating Deniz Khazaniuk in the final after Khazaniuk retired while Ekshibarova held two match points.[1] She and Dudi Sela were the women's and men's Israeli national tennis champions that year.[2] Ekshibarova described the title as one of the most important victories of her career, citing the personal significance Israel held for her, and expressed hope of contributing to the national team if selected.[1]

In 2019, identified in reports as Vlada Katic (Ekshibarova), she reached the Israeli women's championship final again but lost to 19-year-old Shelly Berzaniak, who won 6–2, 7–6, denying Ekshibarova a second national title.[3]