Elena Rybakina revealed that she she once thought she would never be a good grass player, but now she feels she can play pretty well on all surfaces. Rybakina, 23, became Grand Slam champion last summer after beating Ons Jabeur at Wimbledon.
At the start of this season, Rybakina finished as the runner-up at the Australian Open. “I feel pretty good on all surfaces and for me it’s also fun to change the surface; that’s the beauty of the sport, adapting all the time.
I feel confident on the grass, which I never really thought I would be that good on. Because as a junior I played maybe once or twice and I wasn’t successful, so when I started working with my coach, I said I don’t like grass very much, I don’t know how to play on it.
But in the end, it is for now my best achievement. My first WTA trophy was on clay, so I think I can play on all surfaces,» Rybakina said. eurosport.
Rybakina has titles on all surfaces
On the clay courts of Bucharest in 2019, Rybakina lifted her first WTA title.
The following year, Rybakina made it all the way to the hard courts in Hobart. Last summer, Rybakina captured the Wimbledon title. Rybakina has three titles in her collection, and all three come in different surfaces. Also, Rybakina is now a top 10 player.
When asked about breaking into the top 10, Rybakina admitted that it will probably help her schedule certain tournaments better. “Probably yes, because you can know your schedule better [when you have a higher ranking].
For example, now in Doha, I’m still in the qualifiers, so you can’t really predict, but if you’re in the top 10, you can plan more easily. Sometimes you have this advantage of not playing the first round, so you have a few more days to practice. If you’re traveling, that helps,» Rybakina said.
