With partner Alexei Tikhonov, she is the 2000 World champion and a two-time (1999, 2000) European champion Petrova was a sickly child and her doctor recommended she take up a sport; her parents got her into figure skating when she was seven.

[1] She initially competed with Anton Sikharulidze with whom she is the 1994 and 1995 World Junior Champion.

[2] They split in 1996 and she teamed up with Teimuraz Pulin, winning the silver medal at the 1997 World Junior championships.

After making the decision to retire following the 2006 Worlds, Petrova and Tikhonov eventually consented to compete one more year at the Russian Skating Federation's request.

Petrova and Tikhonov trained in Saint Petersburg with Ludmila Velikova.