Violetta Degtiareva - A popular young Russian tennis player, who was one of the highest earning female athletes on the International Tennis Federation pro circuit, has died of heart failure.
23-year-old Violetta Degtiareva, who is ranked 1,084 for singles and around 900 in doubles, is reported to have died during a training session on January 12. The news of her death, which has stunned many fans and colleagues, only came to light after a friend posted a tribute on social media a week later.
20-year-old Anastasia Vdovenco, a fellow tennis player, broke the news of Violetta Degtiareva's sudden death via a Facebook post.
"I can hardly believe it. Rest in peace," Anastasia's Facebook post read.
The details of Violetta Degtiareva's death is not clear- reports indicate that she suffered heart failure and collapsed during a tennis training session. It unclear if she died immediately at the training center or at a local hospital.
Russian media have not disclosed where specifically Violetta was training at the time the fatal incident happened.
Although Violetta Degtiareva was an up-and-coming tennis player, her beauty drew comparisons to Anna Kournikova, who she was touted to follow in her shoes.
Violetta Degtiareva was born in south-western Russia, in the city of Rostov, which is close to the Ukrainian border. Her most memorable performance was when she reached the quarter-finals at the IFT Tourney in Turkey. And her best ranking was at 947 despite her youth.
The news of Violetta Degtiareva's death has since gone viral. Many have expressed shock at her passing.Questions have also been raised about the cause of death especially given the fact that she lived an active lifestyle.
