The former women’s doubles World No. 1 and the host of the ‘Spring is Calling Podcast,’ Elena Vesnina, has spoken on the recent controversy following an interview with guest Veronika Kudermetova in 2025. The Russians’ comments about the Danish star Holger Rune sparked significant debate about the editorial transparency and celebrity privacy on social media.
Vesnina’s recent statement addresses the heated controversy while revealing important insights behind the actual release of the information.
Elena Vesnina Stands by Editorial Decisions As Veronika Kudermetova Podcast Controversy Continues To Unfold
Vesnina defended her interview with Kudermetova while rejecting the claims that the unapproved Rune remarks aired on the “Spring is Calling” podcast without consent. In her statement, Kudermetova suggested that the conversation took place before the actual podcast recording began and that she requested the segment to be removed from the final result.
However, Vesnina recently revealed that she and her team discussed with Kudermetova about the comments right after the conclusion of the interview, but she didn’t take any objection at that time.
“We discussed the comments with her straightaway after the interview, and she didn’t tell us there was anything we couldn’t publish,” Vesnina said. “But this situation has gotten out of control. For me, it was not necessary to bring so much attention to this situation.”
Kudermetova, the 28-year-old Russian player, has been married to coach Sergei Demekhine since 2017, with whom she has been since 2012. She shared about an incident in the podcast in which Rune contacted her on social media. According to her, she told him directly that she is too old for him and that if he had checked her Instagram, he would’ve known that she was married.
She further described the current scenario where things have been really awkward between the two, and Rune doesn’t even greet her when they cross paths anymore.
Vesnina then acknowledged that multiple female stars had faced this situation with the Danish player at some point in their career. “Veronika is not the only player to have told a story like this,” Vesnina said. “I think we’ve all learned something from this. When it comes to Holger, I think it was a good lesson for him to be more careful,” she concluded.
Anna Kalinskaya Reveals Holger Rune Asked Her Out for a Date
The Kudermetova-Rune controversy expanded when another Russian player, Anna Kalinskaya, revealed a similar situation with the Dane back in September 2025. During a Russian interview, Kalinskaya was asked if she gets approached by ATP players, to which she responded that yes, now that she is older, many players do ask her out.
She also revealed that one player in particular has been very resilient and has asked her out multiple times. Kalinskaya initially hesitated about revealing the person’s identity, but when the interviewer insisted, she gave Rune’s name. She also added that “He thinks too highly of himself,” while addressing the whole situation.
Rune later saw this clip of Kalinskaya’s interview on social media and explained. He stated that a misunderstanding had occurred due to the cultural differences, and he would’ve asked her out clearly if he wanted to.
“We might have cultural differences that make Anna read a comment on a story as an invitation to a date,” Rune wrote on social media. “If I want to go on a date, I ask for a date. Don’t worry.”
As of now, Rune is out of on-court action due to a serious Achilles injury he suffered during last year’s Stockholm Open in the semifinals against Ugo Humbert. He retired from the match after not being able to move properly and hearing a “pop” in his leg, which was later confirmed by his mother as an Achilles rupture.
