Elena Rybakina Decides to Postpone Pre-Season Tour After a Hectic 2025 Season

Elena Rybakina will open her 2026 season at the Brisbane International in Australia.

Elena Rybakina Decides to Postpone Pre-Season Tour After a Hectic 2025 Season

Elena Rybakina (Image via X/AllABoutHQ)

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Elena Rybakina enjoyed yet another successful season, but it was also a campaign marred by various injury setbacks. The World No.5 claimed three tour-level titles before ending the 2025 season in Riyadh. She has now withdrawn from an exhibition tournament which is bound to take place in mid-December.

The 2022 Wimbledon champion was outside the Top 10 at one point this season but did brilliantly to get into the top 5. Her rise in the WTA rankings comes at the back of a brilliant end to the season as she was the last player to secure a place in the WTA Finals with qualifications coming on the back of her title run in Ningbo.

Rybakina then went on to dominate the season-ending tournament in Riyadh, winning the title without losing a match. She defeated Iga Swiatek, Amanda Anisimova, and Ekaterina Alexandrova in the round robin stage. The 26-year-old went on to beat Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka to win the WTA Finals.

She pocketed a mind-blowing $5.235 million in prize money, finishing the year with $8,456,632, while also earning a maximum of 1,500 points at the tournament. Rybakina claimed her first title of the season at the Strasbourg Open in May after enduring several lows in several tournaments.

Rybakina had to play in four tournaments during the Asian swing to topple Mirra Andreeva and qualify for the WTA Finals, which was hectic. During an interview with Kazakhstan outlet Sportilinet, the former World No.3 revealed that she has withdrawn from the exhibition tournament World League Tennis as she needs more rest after the 2025 hectic schedule:

I withdrew from the World Tennis League pre-season tournament in India. It’s been a long season, and if I’d played there, I’d have to start matches in India on the 17th. It’s completely rushed. Now I’ll be preparing in Dubai for four weeks, then an exhibition tournament in China, which is convenient for my trip to Australia. Then there’s Brisbane and the Australian Open.

Rybakina will open her 2026 campaign at the Brisbane International before heading to the Australian Open, where she reached the final in 2023. She will be hoping to use her WTA Finals form in Brisbane and Melbourne Grand Slam, with Sabalenka also expected to feature in both as the defending champion in Brisbane and two-time champion at the Australian Open.

Elena Rybakina reveals why she struggled with a shoulder problem at the WTA Finals

Elena Rybakina began to struggle with a shoulder problem during the WTA Finals in Riyadh. The 26-year-old struggled with her shoulder against Ekaterina Alexandrova and Jessica Pegula at the tournament. But, somehow, she managed to put on a top-class performance in the final against Aryna Sabalenka despite having a strapping on her shoulder.

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

Rybakina has recovered from the shoulder problem and is set to begin her pre-season training ahead of the 2026 season. During the aforementioned interview, the Kazakhstan star revealed that the reason for the shoulder injury was due to the number of tournaments she played leading up to the WTA Finals:

As for my shoulder, it happened at the last tournament, but it didn’t require any manipulation or medical assistance. I rested and it went away. My shoulder hurt because I played a lot of tournaments in a row and served a lot. Overall, it was under control. With the team, we manage to avoid serious injuries and surgery.

Rybakina was heavily criticized earlier this season after rehiring Stefano Vukov, despite already having begun a partnership with Goran Ivanisevic. Vukov was suspended by the WTA for breach of conduct but after an appeal returned to Rybakina’s team in August, which forced the World No.5 to part ways with Italian coach Davide Sanguinetti.

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