Sixth seed Elena Rybakina is looking forward to taking to the Australian Open court again on Monday in her first-round clash against home hope Emerson Jones, after a mixed 2024 season that has seen her draft in fellow former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic as her coach – who helped Novak Djokovic to a period of title dominance from 2019 to 2024.
There is always magic in the air when the first Grand Slam of the year gets underway, not just the sunnier weather but also the surfing trips that often accompany it or, in the case of Rybakina, taking viral selfies with quokkas – cute marsupials from the kangaroo family – on an island near Perth.
Back on the court, the 25-year-old Kazakh has a fresh outlook and wants to attack again in 2025 starting with the Jones match which could open up a possible run to another final like 2023 thanks to a kind draw for her.
Rybakina is an ‘all around’ player who feels at home on all surfaces and comfortable playing all strokes, but she also knows that she can improve to take on the players above her in the rankings such as world number one Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus who beat her in the 2023 final.
At the United Cup in Perth, the dress rehearsal for the Australian Open, Rybakina and her teammates reached the semi-finals and she put up a great fight in two hard-fought sets against world number two Iga Świątek of Poland – precisely the type of match that she needed to regain competitive toughness.
Here is what the 2022 Wimbledon champion had to say ahead of her 2025 Melbourne title tilt:
Have you done anything differently than usual ahead of the Australian Open?
“For me, the break was longer than usual. I didn’t play for nearly two months. It was a positive experience. I didn’t do this for the last five, six years, where I only had a maximum of two weeks off. Also, after many injuries, I had the chance to fully recharge my batteries. It helped a lot.
“I didn’t miss the traveling at all. Instead, I had time to see family and friends, and also spend time with my dogs. I did some wakeboarding too and I finally took some driving lessons. I will hopefully get my license by the end of this year.”
What have you worked on specifically to get yourself in the best shape possible?
“We were working a little bit on everything on the court. During the off season, it’s important to regain physical strength. I tried to get back in shape physically and I’m feeling really good now. I know how to play kind of everything on court, but some strokes I don’t use that often.
“For example, the backhand slice when in a defending position. I practiced a lot on this. This is something I will definitely use more often during my matches.”
How has Goran helped put you in the right mindset for your 2025 season?
“We are working with Goran for a month now. We went to the United Cup together and we did a good job. One thing is clear: we are still getting used to each other. We will see how it is going to go but, for now, it’s been quite good.”
Rybakina is set to compete against Australian Emerson Jones in the Australian Open on Monday, January 13, 2025.
Listen to Rybakina’s winning mindset on ‘Mind Set Win’ podcast HERE.
Words and Images courtesy of Red Bull Media
