Elena Rybakina is one of the WTA Tour’s most dangerous players.
She put her rivals on red alert when she stormed through the draw, as Rybakina upset Ons Jabeur to win Wimbledon in 2022.
However, she has struggled to reach that level at Grand Slams since, and the 26-year-old suffered some injury and off-field issues in 2024 which hampered her season.
However, Elena Rybakina has had more continuity and stability for most of this season and she aims for a strong North American hard court season, starting with the Citi Open.
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty ImagesElena Rybakina admits constantly managing pain in her foot in worrying fitness update
Rybakina is playing her first tournament since the Wimbledon Championships.
The 26-year-old did not have the run she expected, as she suffered a straight-sets defeat to Clara Tauson in the third round.
Now she is back in action, this time on hard courts, at the Citi Open in America’s capital, Washington D.C.
As she adjusts to changing from grass courts to the concrete, Rybakina shared she is dealing with a foot issue, and it is something that she is accustomed to managing.
“I always have some issue with my foot. It’s just sometimes it’s worse; sometimes it’s better. Of course with a change of surface, it’s not easy. We are trying to work on that,” she told reporters.
“But yeah, we see how I feel tomorrow, but definitely this is something I need to take care of more. For now, today I felt okay in the match. Hopefully it’s going to go just better.”
Elena Rybakina starts her Citi Open campaign with a victory
Rybakina managed her foot issues to complete a 6-3, 7-5 victory over the dangerous Victoria Mboko.
The Canadian teenager is continuing to make waves on the WTA Tour and she aimed to cause an upset against the world number 12.
Rybakina was impressed with her performance despite not having had a practice session under the night sky in Washington D.C.
Rybakina was impressed with her performance despite having not had a practice session in the evening. “Well, it’s nice to play on hard courts. It was tough match today,” she said.
“It is also first match I played and I didn’t even practice when it’s evening, like night session. So, yeah, happy with the win and looking forward to the next one.”