For Elena Rybakina, things are rarely straightforward — even though they appear beautifully simple.
Her game is languidly devastating. She has a cleaner strike than anyone on the tour, the biggest serve, and an even temperament that is the polar opposite of the far more expressive world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
By beating Sabalenka yesterday to win the Australian Open, her second Grand Slam title after Wimbledon in 2022, Rybakina has reestablished herself as a major player at the top of women’s tennis.
The 26-year-old is the one everyone will want to avoid in draws at the moment because when she is in this kind of ruthlessly consistent form, she is nigh on unbeatable.
Rybakina has won more matches than anyone on the WTA Tour in the six months since last year’s Wimbledon. And when asked if becoming the world No. 1 was a target in a news conference after Saturday’s win, she said:
💬 “Yeah, I have big goals.”
Beautifully simple. But not straightforward.
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