Elena Rybakina: “I knew the road” to winning a Grand Slam title at Australian Open

DOHA, Qatar—With her first Grand Slam victory at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, Elena Rybakina had all the makings of a multi-major champion, but while a second Slam proved elusive, the world No. 3 admitted to a quiet confidence that she would one day return to the winner’s circle.

“I kind of knew the road,” Rybakina said at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, fresh off a title run at the 2026 Australian Open. “But every day is different. There’s new expectations and new approach, as each match as a little bit different.”

Rybakina indeed took on new expectations after winning Wimbledon at 23 years old but felt little respect in the aftermath of what should have been a fairytale run. Awarded no ranking points due to the All England Club’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players in response to the war in Ukraine, Rybakina was unable to qualify for the WTA Finals and saw no immediate change in her position when it came to things like court assignments.

“I feel like actually I'm not the Wimbledon champion,” she said at the 2022 US Open. “I didn't get this feeling to be No. 2 or actually achieve, because it's still different treatment when you are Top 10 or Top 20. Even with the win of Wimbledon, it's kind of different feeling.”

Though she arrived in Doha with a cold after winning in Melbourne, Rybakina had no complaints after a triumphant Slam run, one where she scored wins over both No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek to return to No. 3 in the WTA rankings.

“At Wimbledon, it was really not expected. I think I wasn’t really prepared that well,” Rybakina reflected in her Doha Media Day press conference on Sunday.

“It was a lot of emotions, different ones, in Australia. I feel like it’s more of a job. I try to really prepare for each match differently. If I have time, we celebrate, but if we don’t, there’s a lot of tournaments ahead.”

Sitting atop the Race to the WTA Finals standings, Rybakina pointedly added her sense of relief at effectively having qualified for the season-ending championships in Riyadh, as the tour guarantees entry to major champions who finish the year inside the Top 20.

“It’s a big advantage,” smiled Rybakina, who won the tournament last year after qualifying under the wire in the fall.

Hopefully, this week can be as good as in Australia. But if not, we still have so many tournaments ahead... Elena Rybakina

A former finalist in Doha, Rybakina opted against an extended break—even with her off-court ailment. With a proverbial map in hand, she prefers instead to make the most of the momentum that has already won her two the tour’s biggest titles in the last six months.

“We’ll see how I’m going to feel here and how the matches will go,” said Rybakina, who is the No. 2 seed in Doha. “It’s good practice no matter what. We’ll still try to work on some things with the team. I don’t put too much pressure or expectations, that’s for sure. But I definitely want to do well and we’ll see how it’s going to go day by day.”

Rybakina will face either Wang Xinyu or Emiliana Arango following a first-round bye.