Rybakina's Revenge! Can She Conquer the Court Again After Setback?

Elena Rybakina, now a two-time Grand Slam champion, is hinting at a potential era of dominance following her Australian Open victory. It's been a long four years since her understated Wimbledon triumph, a win that, honestly, barely registered the excitement it deserved.

Rybakina's Revenge! Can She Conquer the Court Agai...

Rybakina's Melbourne final showdown against Aryna Sabalenka was nothing short of thrilling. It really did feel like a turning point. Almost four years – an age in tennis! – had passed since that initial Grand Slam win, a victory she acknowledged with a quiet modesty. Even now, her style is understated. After clinching the Australian Open, a simple fist clench was the only outward display of what must have been immense relief and, perhaps, a touch of disbelief.

However, this return to form, to the kind of tennis that propelled her to that first success, suggests something more. It suggests a readiness to consistently deliver moments that warrant far grander celebrations. The potential is definitely there. And let's face it, the women's game could use a bit of a shake-up.

While Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have largely bossed the women's tour, bagging eight of the last thirteen slams since Rybakina's Wimbledon win, the Kazakh player has demonstrated she can absolutely close the gap. That 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Sabalenka, hot on the heels of wins against Swiatek and sixth seed Jessica Pegula, proves that beyond a doubt.

"I always believed I can come back to the level I was [but] we all have ups and downs," Rybakina admitted. "I thought maybe I will never again be in the final, or even get a trophy. But we've been putting in a lot of work as a team and in the moments when I was not that positive they would be helping out. When you are getting big wins against top players, then you start to believe more and you get more confident." That's the kind of grit that makes champions.

This victory catapults Rybakina back to a career-high ranking of third in the world, a position she last held in September 2024. A staggering 10-match winning streak against top-10 opponents further solidifies her claim. In fact, she’s the first player since 2019 to win the Australian Open by defeating top-10 players in each round from the quarter-finals onward – an astonishing feat of consistency under pressure.

"When Rybakina is fit and on fire she is untouchable," former British player Annabel Croft commented, and it's hard to disagree. "Her ball-striking quality is so pure and her shots just sound different because of the way they come out of the strings. The depth she creates on the court, with her low and flat strikes, is fantastic. We were all just marvelling at her serve. I think it is absolutely beautiful and the best in the women's game."

Born in Moscow, Rybakina's journey into professional tennis was a bit unusual. At 17, she was already considered a late starter! Initially a gymnast and ice skater, she was advised to switch sports because of her height. Representing Kazakhstan since 2018, after receiving vital financial support from their tennis federation, she quickly proved her talent. Her first WTA Tour title in Bucharest in 2019, followed by four finals in her first five events, was a clear sign of things to come. It will be interesting to see what she does next.