Elena Rybakina did not have the best of times in the French Open last year after he pulled out off her third round match against Sara Sorribes Tormo due to illness. But in 2024, the Kazakh star said that she is in a much better shape physically. On Tuesday, May 28, Rybakina made her way through to the second round at Roland Garros after beating Belgium’s Greet Minnen 6-2, 6-3.
Rybakina said that she was going through tough times after being tested positive for Covid-19, but she has managed to pull herself up and is currently in a positive frame of mind.
“I feel quite confident. For sure, physically I’m much better than last year since I had to withdraw. I had COVID-19, so of course, now I’m much better. The questions are quite the same, so I don’t know what to say anymore,” Rybakina told the reporters.
‘Happy to be back’
Back in 2022, Rybakina won the Wimbledon title after beating Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the final. But since then, she hasn’t won a Grand Slam. But having beaten World No.1 Iga Swiatek on her way to winning the Stuttgart Open earlier this year, Rybakina has found her mojo.
“(Longer tournaments) are tiring sometimes, but I mean, now I’m happy to be back and just to keep on playing. Then the goal is for me to win the titles. That’s what I want. That’s what I’m aiming for,” Rybakina added.
Rybakina will next be up against Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands in the second round match on Thursday at Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Having never gone beyond the quarters at Roland Garros, Rybakina has hit her task cut out.