2009
Makarova started 2009 with early losses in the first rounds of the 2009 Medibank International Sydney, the 2009 Open GDF Suez, and the 2009 Dubai Tennis Championships and the second rounds of the 2009 Australian Open and the 2009 BNP Paribas Open. However, she made an impressive run by reaching the fourth round of the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open with straight-sets wins over Ai Sugiyama and Nadia Petrova before losing to Li Na 6–7, 6–2, 6–2. She then reached her first WTA final in the 2009 Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem with a win over Alisa Kleybanova and, without dropping a set leading up to the finals, she lost in a one-sided final to Anabel Medina Garrigues 6–0, 6–1. She also reached the final of the 2009 Estoril Open defeating Maria Kirilenko and Anna-Lena Grönefeld en route but losing to Yanina Wickmayer 7–5, 6–2.
She then suffered first match losses in the 2009 French Open and the 2009 AEGON Classic. Next, she reached the Quarterfinals as a qualifier at the AEGON International losing to eventual champion Caroline Wozniacki 6–3, 6–2. However, she was defeated in the second round at 2009 Wimbledon, the 2009 Internazionali Femminili di Palermo, and the 2009 LA Women's Tennis Championships. Then she endured a 7-match losing streak spanning the 2009 Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open, the 2009 Rogers Cup, the 2009 Pilot Pen Tennis, the 2009 US Open, the 2009 Hansol Korea Open, and the 2009 Toray Pan Pacific Open. She finally broke her losing streak at the 2009 China Open by defeating Shahar Pe'er 6–4, 6–2 before losing to Serena Williams 6–3, 6–2. In her last tournament of the year, she lost in the first round to Lucie Šafářová 6–2, 6–2 in the 2009 Kremlin Cup.
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