“I want to win as many matches as I can here to build confidence”: Elena Rybakina unstoppable with 13 consecutive wins, eyes Australian Open glory

Elena Rybakina survived a tough battle against Paula Badosa in her season return at the Brisbane International, winning 6-3, 6-2. The world No. 5 made her 2026 debut against a challenging opponent in the Spaniard, who was playing her first tournament back after months of injury recovery.

Badosa missed almost the entire second half of 2025 after suffering a setback in her back injury during Wimbledon. She returned at the China Open after three months but had to retire mid-tournament after another relapse. She had only completed one full match since June 2025.

In terms of star power, however, it was one of the most anticipated clashes of the tennis week. The 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina came in on a strong run at the end of last season — with five consecutive wins at the WTA Finals — but she needed to confirm that form with a winning start to the new year.

“Yeah, today was a tough match and I think my serve was not working as much as previously, but I returned pretty well. I was solid on the baseline, so there are some positive things to take,” the world No. 5 said in press conference. “In the first set, she started better than me. I was too slow at the start, but I got opportunities with a couple of double faults from Paula, and it got a bit easier after that. In the second set, my serve started to feel better.”

Rybakina also commented on the level displayed by Badosa, who will have to fight once again to climb back up the rankings after dropping due to her extended absence. “I feel like Paula just needs some time and more matches, but she played really well. Hopefully, we’ll play many more times together.”

Rybakina comes into the new season after a strong finish to 2025. She qualified for the WTA Finals at the last moment and won titles in Ningbo and Riyadh. She now has a streak of 13 consecutive victories — seven of which were against top-10 opponents. “The end of last season gave me more confidence. I’m not thinking about the past — I’m trying to focus on each match here,” the former world No. 3 added. “When the serve is not working for almost the whole match, it’s not easy to deal with. I was trying to find my rhythm, and only in the last few games did it get better. I’ll try to serve better in my next match.”

“Slowly, with matches, I’m going to get more confidence. I like the conditions here, so it’s good preparation for the Australian Open,” the 26-year-old Kazakh added, taking her time in preparation for the first major of the year. “Pre-season went well, and hopefully I can carry this through the season. Even small things, like a 30-minute warm-up, there’s still a lot to improve.”

“I don’t look too far ahead. Each match is one at a time, and whatever happens, happens,” the 2023 Australian Open runner-up said. “First, I want to win as many matches as I can here to build confidence. I’ll also have one more week before the Australian Open to work physically and technically if needed — there’s still plenty of time to improve.”

In quarterfinals, Rybakina will face Czech Karolina Muchova (No. 11) on Friday, January 9. Muchova comes off impressive wins against Ajla Tomljanovic (4-6, 6-1, 7-6) and Ekaterina Alexandrova (6-4, 7-5), recording her first top-10 victory of the season. The two have met twice before, splitting the head-to-head 1-1. Their last clash was in the 2023 Indian Wells quarterfinals, where Rybakina won in three sets on her way to the title.