“I’m still in pain after all these matches,” Elena Rybakina breaks her silence with a health update after beating Madison Keys in a bid to reach the Miami Open quarterfinals

Following her match in the Round of 16 against Madison Keys, Rybakina gave an update about her health.

“I’m still in pain after all these matches,” Elena Rybakina breaks her silence with a health update after beating Madison Keys in a bid to reach the Miami Open quarterfinals

Elena Rybakina (Image via X)

Kazakhstan’s star player Elena Rybakina defeated USA’s Madison Keys to secure herself a spot in the quarter-finals of the ongoing Miami Open. She defeated Keys in straight sets 6-3, 7-5 in the previous round and now in the quarter-final, the fourth seed will lock horns with Maria Sakkari.

Following her match in the Round of 16, Rybakina gave an update about her health. Before the Miami Open, the 24-year-old participated in the Indian Wells to defend her title (last year she defeated Aryna Sabalenka to win her first Indian Wells trophy).

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But she withdrew from the tournament even before playing a match. She suffered a gastrointestinal illness, and it took quite a few days to recover from it. After her fourth-round win over Madison Keys, Rybakina revealed how she struggled to do anything for about eight days. The World No.4 also said that she is still suffering from the illness and is hoping that the pain gets allayed in the near future.

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Unfortunately, it was long. It was like 8 days without anything. Nothing. Honestly, no fitness, no tennis. It was tough to come back. I’m still in pain after all these matches. I’m feeling better and hopefully the extra day we have in between helps. We’ll see how it’s going to be in the next one.
Rybakina told Tennis Channel during her post-match interview

Rybakina’s first victory in a tournament this year came at the Abu Dhabi Open where she defeated Daria Kasatkina in the final. She reached the final of the Qatar Open but it was Iga Swiatek who clinched the title.

Maria Sakkari versus Elena Rybakina head-to-head stats

Last year, Elena Rybakina couldn’t go past the fourth round of the Miami Open as Elise Mertens defeated her in straight sets. Rybakina has not yet won a title in Miami.

Elena Rybakina
Elena Rybakina, Maria Sakkari (Images via X)

Meanwhile, Rybakina and Maria Sakkari will be meeting for the fourth time. The Kazakh here leads 2-1 in their head-to-head encounter.

They last faced each other in the 2023 WTA Finals, which Rybakina won in three sets. The only time Sakkari was able to beat was in the 2022 Indian Wells quarter-finals.

Rybakina, before knocking out Madison Keys in the fourth round, eliminated Taylor Townsend and Clara Tauson. While Sakkari beat Anna Kalinskaya, Dayana Yastremska, and Yue Yuan in the previous rounds.

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