“The biggest goal is of course to be No. 1,” Elena Rybakina eyes on the top of WTA charts after winning the Indian Wells Open
Elena Rybakina aims the top spot in the WTA rankings after reaching a career high of No.7.
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Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina
On Sunday, Elena Rybakina emerged victorious over Aryna Sabalenka with a 7-6 (13-11), 6-4 win, securing the Indian Wells Open title and handing the world’s second-ranked player only her second loss of the year. The victory was particularly notable as Rybakina had just defeated top-ranked Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, and she carried that momentum into the final against Sabalenka. This win marked the first time Rybakina had beaten Sabalenka in their five career meetings.
In their previous matches, Sabalenka and Rybakina had always gone the distance to three sets. However, in their latest encounter, Rybakina sealed the win in straight sets. In the Australian Open final held in January, Sabalenka won her first Grand Slam title by firing 17 aces and coming back from a set down. However, this time it was Rybakina who emerged victorious with seven aces while Sabalenka committed 10 double faults.
Rybakina, who is currently world No.7 set her eyes on the top spot in the WTA charts. She said, “I think the biggest goal is of course to be No. 1. There is still long way to go. So this is the kind of end goal, I would say. For now, I’m 7, but you know how quickly the ranking change. So I need to always focus on the next tournament I play. Yeah, I’m just trying not to think so much about the ranking, especially now since it’s a long way to go”
Sabalenka struggled with her second serve, winning only 11 of 35 points. Elena Rybakina received prize money of $1,262,220 for her win in the Indian Wells Open final. On the other hand, Aryna Sabalenka earned $662,360 for her performance in the tournament.
Elena Rybakina aims big targeting the Miami Open title
The Wimbledon champion is all set to play in the Miami Open starting her title campaign from later this week. She goes into the tournament seeded 10th. An in-form Rybakina is also brimming with a lot of confidence after her recent win over Sabalenka. Defeating both the top seeds in successive matches will definitely boost any player’s confidence.
Talking about her 52-week rankings she said, “I know that now I’m No. 2, I think so. But, I mean, it’s just the beginning of the year, so still many tournaments ahead. It doesn’t mean anything in the beginning, I think. I didn’t think about this, but good stat.” She further said, ” I don’t know what to say (smiling). I mean, when I come to play against anyone, I try not to think about the ranking. I just want to do my best. Yeah, in the end, trying to win.”
However, it will not be easy for her as Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka will look to bounce back and come at her super strong this time. Indian Wells is Rybakina’s first WTA 1000 title and she is also the first player to defeat the top two seeds at the Indian Wells Open. Fans are absolutely loving Kazakhstani’s game and lauded her for improving from tournament to tournament. Experts believe that the trio of Swiatek, Sabalenka, and Rybakina will be a treat to watch in the coming days.
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Santhosh Tenneti
(308 Articles Published)