MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Elena Rybakina, the enigmatic 26-year-old, prepares to face world number one Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s Australian Open final, a rematch of their thrilling 2023 title decider.
Born in Moscow but representing Kazakhstan, the fifth seed has found her true home on tennis courts, particularly Melbourne’s hard surfaces where she now seeks redemption after the Belarusian fought back to defeat her in three sets two years ago. That loss denied Rybakina a second Grand Slam crown following her Wimbledon triumph just months earlier.
The big-serving ace-machine changed allegiance to Kazakhstan in 2018 when she was a little-known 19-year-old ranked 175th in the world. Unlike several Russian women who switched nationalities after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Rybakina’s move came four years earlier, facilitated by Kazakhstan tennis federation president Bulat Utemuratov, a billionaire businessman worth $3,7 billion according to Forbes.
The Russian capital native, who started playing tennis aged five and trained at Moscow’s renowned Spartak Club, quickly grew weary of questions about her nationality as she rose to prominence. When quizzed during her 2022 Wimbledon run, a tournament that barred Russian and Belarusian players, she curtly responded: “They believed in me. There is no more question about how I feel.”
Speaking in Melbourne, Rybakina explained the switch occurred when she finished school and faced choosing between studying in the United States or pursuing professional tennis.
“It was of course not easy financially,” she admitted, recalling how Kazakhstan officials spotted her impressive WTA results and they “found each other”.
The 1,84m powerhouse has dominated Melbourne with her booming serve, registering 41 aces, comfortably more than any other women’s player. Yet semi-final victim Jessica Pegula identified Rybakina’s most formidable weapon as her icy demeanour, describing her as “cool as a cucumber”.
“She’s always just tough. You know, she’s so chill. She doesn’t really give you anything,” Pegula observed after her straight-sets defeat.
“You’re not really sure if she’s upset or if she’s excited or what it is. I think in today’s game that goes a long way.”
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Rybakina’s journey has included controversy, particularly surrounding her on-off Croatian coach Stefano Vukov, who faced provisional suspension over alleged harsh behaviour towards players, claims he denied and Rybakina dismissed, insisting “he never mistreated me”.
Saturday’s final promises a blockbuster clash between two power-hitters, with Rybakina seeking both revenge and her second Australian Open crown.
