Elena Rybakina takes in Lionel Messi's debut for Inter Miami in MLS ahead of US Open campaign starting

Kazakhstan’s tennis star Elena Rybakina has attended Argentina’s legendary forward Lionel Messi’s Major League Soccer (MLS) debut against New York Red Bulls.

The 36-year-old has taken the MLS’ fame and fan following to a whole new level after joining the Inter Miami side after leaving European giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Rybakina, who is currently in New York to participate in the upcoming US Open, posted a picture on her official Instagram account of her standing in the stands to watch Messi in action live.

The fourth and final Grand Slam of the year is set to begin on Monday where players from all over the world will battle it out for the ultimate glory.

The 24-year-old will be eager to improve her record in the mega-event where out of all the Grand Slams, she has the worst record while playing at the Flashing Medows.

US Open remains the only major tournament where Rybakina has not played in the quarterfinal or beyond. Her best outing to date was playing in the third round in 2021 where she was defeated by the former world number one Romania’s Simona Halep with a score of 7-6, 4-6, 6-3.

She will play her first-round fixture in the competition on Monday against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.