"He told me beforehand that he might leave": Elena Rybakina addresses Vukov exit during surprise Starodubtseva loss
WTAWednesday, 27 May 2026 at 21:30
Elena Rybakina is out of the French Open losing out to Yuliia Starodubtseva in a shock 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 tie against the Ukrainian. This was a huge surprise as many expected Rybakina to challenge for the title but the Kazakh said she couldn't put it down to much.
Rybakina said she felt she played poorly and committed too many unforced errors, which in turn was her downfall at the French Open. "Of course, winning Stuttgart was nice, but we all know it’s indoors and the conditions there are very specific."
"It’s just a pity because I think I was practising really well before the French Open and I was feeling good in practice. I thought I could raise my level here, but today was a very bad performance with too many unforced errors. I didn’t feel great. I was trying to find a way, but clearly it didn’t work," she said in her press conference.
Vukov illness
Rybakina continued being asked about Stefano Vukov who left halfway through the tie and didn't return but the World No.2 said it was down to illness.
"He was at the match, and he left because he had been feeling really bad for the past few days. He told me beforehand that he might leave. He tried to stay, but he wasn’t feeling well, so it wasn’t a surprise. We had already talked about it, so there’s nothing more to it.
Elena Rybakina at Roland Garros.
"From the coaching side, they were just telling me to raise my energy and push more with my legs because the ball was flying so much. Even on balls that don’t feel very fast, the bounce is so high that you really need to force the wrist and play with fast hands.
"Today it just wasn’t enough from my side. Even when I wasn’t trying to attack and was only trying to keep the ball in play, I still made too many mistakes."
Roland Garros conditions
She also touched upon the conditions and whether they played a part in facing off against Starodubtseva. "Physically I wouldn’t say I felt really bad. There have definitely been times when I’ve felt worse. But the energy wasn’t really there, and I just couldn’t find the right balance on the ball.
"At times it also felt very slippery. I was trying to move my legs, but everything was out of rhythm. It’s tough to explain because in practice it didn’t feel nearly as bad.
"When it’s so hot, the ball flies a lot and it becomes very difficult to control, especially for me because I’m always trying to play aggressively, step in and hit fast. If you don’t give enough spin, or if your hands aren’t quick enough, the ball just flies everywhere.
"In these conditions you really need to be patient and try to use as much spin as possible. Of course you also need to come to the net when you can, but for me there were just too many mistakes today to even really talk about those things."
"I think everybody tries to deal with the heat as best they can, but it’s always different depending on the country and the conditions.
"For me today, it wasn’t really the heat physically. It was more that I couldn’t find the right balance or the right shot, and there were simply too many mistakes."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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