Elena Rybakina Gives Hilarious Reason Behind Low-Key Celebration After Australian Open Win
Elena Rybakina lifted her career's second Grand Slam title by upsetting World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.
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Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina (Image via X/Aryna Sabalenka, Yeticus Maximus)
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At the end, it was Elena Rybakina who emerged victorious when she played Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the Australian Open. Throughout the match, Rybakina barely showed what she felt inside.
Known for her ice-cool temperament, all that Rybakina did after blasting an ace to close out the match was just walk forward toward the net for the customary handshake with her opponent and the chair umpire. It was perhaps one of the most subdued celebrations tennis has ever seen. Rybakina confessed later that she simply heaved a sigh of relief when the match got over.
No, I didn’t think of course about any celebration. And honestly, I felt like I finished the match I finished. But I needed a couple of seconds to also realize that I actually won the match because it was such a tense match and a bit of a roller coaster, especially in the third set.
Elena Rybakina told Sony Sports Network
The victory helped the Kazakh ace improve her head-to-head record to 7-8. It was also a rematch of last year’s WTA Finals, where Rybakina clinched the title after downing the Belarusian ace.
And the second set was so close and I just needed a little bit of raising my attention, raising a little bit of level but it didn’t happen and then of course I got a bit frustrated, took some time, came back again, I was down but I’m super happy that I managed to listen a little bit better my books because at some point I was with too many emotions and yeah, it turned this match around.
Elena Rybakina added
It was Rybakina whom Sabalenka defeated in the 2023 Australian Open final to win her career’s first Grand Slam singles title. Since then, she has made the final at Melbourne Park every season. She defended her crown in 2024 against Qinwen Zheng, following which she failed to complete a three-peat due to defeat at the hands of Madison Keys last year.
Greg Rusedski on Elena Rybakina’s biggest strength
According to former player Greg Rusedski, Elena Rybakina‘s biggest strength is her composed demeanor. On his Off Court with Greg podcast, the Brit lauded the 2022 Wimbledon champion for finishing the match with an ace and said the tennis world doesn’t know much about Rybakina’s personality.
She’s being her authentic self. What a way to finish with that ace out wide, you know, perfect timing, everybody’s thinking, okay, she’s serving for five four, and Sabalenka wins the opening set. It goes to 30 all, but she just stays calm and composed; that is her biggest strength.
Rybakina lifted her career’s first Grand Slam title at SW19 by defeating Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur. Last year, she struggled at the start of the season, but as the season progressed, Rybakina regained her form.
She first won the Strasbourg Open, and to book a spot in the WTA Finals, she won the Ningbo Open, becoming the eighth player to secure a ticket to Riyadh, only to have it end in her favor. Last year in the Major Down Under, Rybakina suffered a fourth-round exit and, in fact, failed to advance beyond the round of 16 in the remaining three Majors. She reached the fourth round at the French Open and the US Open, while at Wimbledon, she lost in the third round.
Before the Australian Open, both Rybakina and Sabalenka featured in the Brisbane International. While Sabalenka went on to defend her title by defeating Marta Kostyuk in the final, Rybakina fell in the quarterfinals to Karolina Muchova. Both players dropped a set in the Melbourne Slam for the first time in the final.
Also read: Elena Rybakina Opens Up on Experiencing the Stefano Vukov Saga After the Australian Open Win
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