Elena Rybakina recalls how beating Serena Williams at the French Open boosted her confidence to perform well on clay

Elena Rybakina states her first meeting with Serena Williams at the 2021 French Open as a beautiful memory.

Elena Rybakina recalls how beating Serena Williams at the French Open boosted her confidence to perform well on clay

Serena Williams and Elena Rybakina ( Credits: Eurosport and Tennis.com)

Elena Rybakina will be facing the Czech player Brenda Fruhvirtova in the first round at the Roland Garros. This will be their first WTA Head2Head with the teenager making her French Open main-draw debut. During the press conference in Paris, Rybakina stated that playing Serena Williams at the 2021 French Open is a special memory for her.

The World No. 4 delivered some amazing performances this year. Rybakina reached a second Grand Slam final at the Australian Open but faced a tough loss at the hands of Aryna Sabalenka. In Indian Wells, the Kazak player booked her second finals clash with Sabalenka and claimed the title in a straight sets win. Her Miami Open potential title run came to an end after she was defeated by Petra Kvitova in the final’s match. Starting her clay campaign, Rybakina had early exits at both the Stuttgart and Madrid Open. However, the 23-year-old lifted the Rome Open trophy after a walkover from Anhelina Kalinina.

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Following her incredible win, the Wimbledon champion is back to compete at the second major of the season. Last year in French Open, the Kazak player exited the tournament after losing the third-round match to Madison Keys.

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During the media conference, Rybakina recalled her first meeting with Serena Williams in 2021 Roland Garros. She stated that it is a great memory and the win gave her the confidence that even she can play great on the clay surface. “I just remember, it’s really nice memories when I played against Serena. Back then it was also my best result on a Grand Slam. I made it to 2nd week. Also giving me confidence I can play good on clay,” Rybakina said.

Rybakina earlier had a walkover in the round of 16 match against Beatriz Haddad Maia in Stuttgart Open.

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Elena Rybakina receives praise from Martina Navratilova ahead of the Roland Garros

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Image Credits: The Wall Street Journal and Tennis Major

Elena Rybakina is the newest entry on the list of potential contenders for the upcoming French Open. The World No. 4 has played some incredible tennis this year. Following her final appearance at the Australian Open, the Kazak player claimed the WTA 1000 trophy at the Indian Wells Masters. She also reached the Miami Open final but lost a wonderful battle to Petra Kvitova. Rybakina’s latest accolade in Rome and a record of 40-18 on clay at the WTA level have established her as an ‘all-court” player.

The former tennis player, Martina Navratilova extended her appreciation for the 23-year-old. She praised Rybakina for her outstanding achievement in the Italian Open and complimented her control on the clay. Martina also added the Kazak player has the most brilliant transition game as compared to Swiatek and Sabalenka.

“Don’t forget, Rybakina grew up on clay. She knows how to move on it. She’s a smooth mover, she can neutralize the power of the big hitters and just seems so level-headed in every way. This might surprise some people, but I think she’s got the better transition game of the three. She’s becoming more comfortable finishing at the net. And she can get better with more experience on the clay; when you’re up against exceptional players all the time, there’s still a learning curve,” she said.

Rybakina will be facing challenges from potential contenders like Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Caroline Garcia.

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