'There's a chance to gain a foothold': Elena Rybakina shares season-ending goals after recent surge in form

Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina has shared her most significant objective going into the latter stages of the season. The 26-year-old is having an impressive season, winning 44 out of 61 matches across various competitions. Those results are even more remarkable because she had a turbulent time on and off the court last year.

Rybakina’s most recent appearance was at the US Open, where her journey ended in the fourth round as she lost to the Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. That defeat ended Rybakina’s impressive run of three back-to-back semifinal appearances in different competitions since Wimbledon. Rybakina suffered a defeat in the semifinal of the DC Open to Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, of the Canadian Open to young Victoria Mboko and of the Cincinnati Open to Poland’s Iga Swiatek.

Rybakina was recently quoted in a report by Vesti, where she was asked about her goals before the end of the ongoing season. In response to that, Rybakina stated that playing in the WTA Finals remains her objective. "Getting to the WTA Finals? Yes, that's my goal,” said Rybakina. “I'm currently in eighth place in the live rankings, there are still a few tournaments left, there's a chance to gain a foothold, and maybe even move up. I'll try to play as well as I can, including as part of the Kazakhstan team, because I'll have to play against the US team - that's also a serious test."

Rybakina is in a tight spot when it comes to a race to secure a spot in the WTA Finals this year. The former Wimbledon champion is currently placed in eighth position in the WTA Rankings with 3,751 points, less than 300 rating points more than the ninth-placed Italian Jasmine Paolini. Another player who is closing in on Rybakina is Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova, who has 2,871 rating points and is placed in the 10th position in the WTA Rankings.

Eyes on the big goals

As things stand, only two players have assured their places in the WTA Finals this year: world number one Aryna Sabalenka and number-two-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland. Rybakina’s best performance this year came at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, where she lifted the title after beating Liudmila Samsonova in the final with a score of 6-1, 6-7, 6-1. That triumph was the result of Rybakina’s immense courage, which she has shown after being criticised heavily for her performances on the court last year and off-court issues with her coach Stefano Vukov.

Much of that criticism came from social media. Rybakina was asked about how she managed to overcome that sort of criticism. In response to that, Rybakina stated that she managed to take that criticism and turned it into motivation. "One hundred percent, when you lose there are negative comments on social networks,” said Rybakina. “But when you see positivity, it immediately gives you energy, you see that people support you. Not everyone understands what kind of sport it is, yes, it is wonderful, but it is hard work."

Rybakina was then asked about the most challenging match that she has played in her career. In response to that, Rybakina surprisingly named the final of her Wimbledon-winning campaign in 2022, where she defeated Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the final with a score of 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. "The most difficult match? There were many,” said Rybakina. “But the one I remember most was the Wimbledon final, because you get nervous and I remember how many emotions there were. Even going out on the court I was nervous, and the way the match went, it was a big stand, fans and the final, where you want to win. It was probably the most difficult match."