Elena Rybakina Sends Clear Warning to Aryna Sabalenka: “I’m Focused on Winning Grand Slams”

Elena Rybakina has less than 100 points to defend in Madrid, while Aryna Sabalenka has to defend 1,000 ranking points.

Elena Rybakina Sends Clear Warning to Aryna Sabalenka: “I’m Focused on Winning Grand Slams”

Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/TNT Sports, Tiempo De Tenis)

In Short
  • Elena Rybakina is focused on winning Grand Slams, particularly Roland Garros, rather than her ranking.
  • Rybakina won the Stuttgart Open, reducing the points gap with Aryna Sabalenka to 2,395.
  • Sabalenka, the defending champion at the Madrid Open, is at risk of losing points due to her recent injury withdrawal.

The biggest debate leading up to the Madrid Open was whether Elena Rybakina could topple Aryna Sabalenka and become World No.1 after the clay season. Sabalenka is set to defend 2,550 points during this clay season, while Rybakina has less than 900 points to defend. However, Rybakina has admitted she’s focused on winning Roland Garros rather than her ranking.

Sabalenka pulled out of the Stuttgart Open last week due to an injury. She was meant to defend 330 points at the tournament and had a gap of over 3,000 points over Rybakina in the WTA rankings. The Belarusian star had completed the Sunshine Double (winning the Indian Wells and Miami Open) last month.

Nonetheless, Rybakina cut the gap between her and Sabalenka to just 2,395 points after winning the Stuttgart Open, which was her second title of the season. Rybakina reached the third round of the Madrid Open last year, which means if she wins the title next week, she will gain an additional 935 points.

Sabalenka is the defending champion of the tournament, having beaten Coco Gauff in straight sets last year. Should she fail to defend 1,000 points, the gap between her and Rybakina will reduce further. Sabalenka is projected to face Rybakina in the final of the Madrid Open, which will be their fourth meeting this season.

However, Rybakina revealed during her press conference in Madrid that her major focus is winning the Grand Slams this season. The next Slam is the Roland Garros, which starts next season, and Sabalenka finished as runner-up last year, while Rybakina crashed out in the fourth round. Should Rybakina win the French Open this year, she will be on course to become World No.1:

We have our strengths and areas to improve, but we certainly push each other. She is very fun off the court. She is nice. We are not super close, but I think she is a good person. I do not only think about the ranking. I believe the main focus is on the Grand Slams, on winning those kinds of titles. But even when I was number three a few years ago, I already aimed to keep climbing in the standings. Each season is a process, and if it happens, great.

Rybakina has won 25 matches this season, 9 of which have come against top 20 players on tour. She defeated Sabalenka in the final of the Australian Open in January and has beaten Jessica Pegula twice. Sabalenka is the only player who has beaten her twice this season, with Victoria Mboko defeating her at the Doha Open.

Elena Rybakina says she aims to maintain an aggressive style at the Madrid Open

Elena Rybakina claimed the Stuttgart Open after defeating Karolina Muchova in straight sets, solidifying her place among the top players in the WTA this season. Additionally, the Kazakhstan star is recognized for her consistency across various surfaces. She has won big titles on clay, hard, and grass courts in her career, which includes Wimbledon.

Elena Rybakina (via X/The Tennis Letter)
Elena Rybakina (via X/The Tennis Letter)

She has won five clay titles in her career and at least one every year since 2023. Her biggest title came at the Italian Open in 2023 after Anhelina Kalinina retired due to a leg injury in the final. During the aforementioned press conference, Rybakina emphasized maintaining an aggressive baseline style while incorporating flexibility depending on the opponent:

It is difficult to say right now. I think I will try to adapt, depending on the opponent, and see what works here and what does not, if I need to change something or not. But overall, it will be the same: trying to be aggressive. The ball flies a lot here, so I have to be careful with the initial shots. You have to be prepared for all of that, but at the same time, it’s the same for the opponent.

Rybakina will open her campaign against Elena-Gabriela Ruse or Antonia Ruzic in the second round of the Madrid Open. The 26-year-old is projected to face Qinwen Zheng in the third round of the tournament.

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