In the 1994-95 season, Slutskaya continued her rise; after winning the 1995 World Junior title in November 1994 in Budapest, she took bronze at 1995 Russian Championships to qualify for her first senior ISU Championship.
In 1996-97, Slutskaya began her season by winning her first Champions Series title at the 1996 Skate Canada International, beating rising star Tara Lipinski.