"I was struggling almost the whole year": Elena Rybakina makes startling admission about tennis scheduling giving her insomnia

Elena Rybakina expressed her satisfaction with both her performance and her overall progress at the 2025 US Open following a commanding victory over Emma Raducanu.

Speaking to the media after the match, the Kazakh star highlighted the need for aggression and depth in her game against such an opponent in her press conference as well as about dealing with insomnia and the return of coach Stefano Vukov. He returned in Cincinnati but is back at the US Open in full. This after he was banned initially and it got overturned recently.

“Today was a good performance for me,” Rybakina said. “It’s always not easy to play against Emma. Even if sometimes the score doesn’t show, I know that against her I need to play very aggressive and also try to play deep. Today I think I did pretty well, so I’m happy.”

Asked about her form through the opening three rounds, Rybakina noted that she had faced a variety of challenges but felt her game was steadily improving. “Today I played really well, and the last few matches also,” she explained. “There were some tricky moments, like in the second round in the second set, but overall I think I’m playing pretty well here. My serve is working — not always, of course — but this is something I still need to work on, because the deeper you go in the tournament the tougher the opponents get. For now, physically I’ve been feeling well, so I’m pretty happy with how the tournament is going so far.”

The former Wimbledon champion acknowledged that Raducanu had demanded a higher level of focus and execution than her earlier opponents. “The first matches are always tough, and the opponents I played earlier I didn’t know much about, never played before,” she said. “With Emma, we practised a couple of times, and I know she’s a tough opponent. She’s been playing really well. Of course it’s a different kind of focus. I knew I needed to stay on top of the rallies because she moves really well, and if you give her a chance she will move the ball. I was just trying to stay aggressive, go for my shots and play deep. A couple of times I was also a bit lucky, hitting really deep on the lines, which is very difficult to return. It’s all about the mindset, and now there are only tough opponents, so you always need to try to bring your best.”

Looking ahead to a potential fourth-round meeting with either Jasmine Paolini or Marketa Vondrousova, Rybakina described both players as difficult assignments. Vondrousova ended up sealing the win but she mused on both. “Both are tricky,” she admitted. “Marketa is a lefty, so it’s a little bit of a different adaptation for the match. Jasmine has also been playing really well last season and this season too. She tries to play fast, take time away from the opponent. We actually practised here before the tournament. So it’s not going to be easy no matter who it is. I’ll definitely try to focus on my serve again because that’s where I can either get free points or be dominated in the rally. And of course, I’ll speak with my team as always, try to make some plans, and hopefully it will work for me.”

The discussion also turned to her health, with Rybakina revealing the extent of the insomnia that plagued her throughout 2023 and much of 2024. “I had big issues with insomnia. I think 2023 as a whole year was pretty tough for me. I played a lot, and we had a different schedule. I was playing many night sessions, and we didn’t yet have the rule that you can’t go on court after 11, so I had a lot of late matches. With the Billie Jean King Cup that season, it was kind of long. Then going into 2024, I started again pretty well, but I was playing so many tournaments until almost the end of the season. My insomnia was there, and I was struggling almost the whole year,” she said.

Now, however, the 2022 Wimbledon champion feels she has turned a corner. “It’s much better — I have no issues, which I’m really happy about. This year I tried with a new coach, but it didn’t work out in the beginning, so the results weren’t the same as in previous years. For now, though, I think we’re managing and getting closer to where I want to be. Physically I’m also doing a pretty good job. Of course, there’s not much time in between tournaments, but overall I’m happy with how the work is going right now. Having Stefano in the box definitely helps a lot. I think it’s important when the team can support you.”

When asked directly about the return of Stefano Vukov to her team and whether his presence was beneficial beyond the technical aspects, Rybakina was unequivocal. “I never had any issues with him,” she said. “For me, it’s just nice to see him in the box. We always had good communication, and we never had problems.”