Elena Rybakina spoke about how she manages to stay calm during her matches.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion faced one of her final challenges of the year at the Shanghai Open, displaying excellent form with victories over players such as Zheng Qinwen, Mirra Andreeva, and the world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka.
Unfortunately, Rybakina's efforts weren't enough, and she ended up losing in the semifinals to Russian Ludmila Samsonova.
This result allowed her to climb to world No. 4, a position she will hold during the WTA Finals in Cancun, her last tournament of the year. If there's one thing that has characterized Rybakina, especially over the last 18 months as she's become an elite WTA player, it's her ability to keep a cool head and face challenging moments with composure. Rybakina's serenity is striking because both wins and losses appear to have little impact on her emotional control:
“I'm trying to be calm & not show if I'm upset or angry... no matter the situation. It helps me & maybe also sometimes confuses the opponents, especially in the beginning when nobody knew me,” Rybakina said.
“It took them longer to figure out my weak spots. Maybe other players are too angry or are showing too many emotions. They work to become calmer, for me it’s the opposite which is a bit rare... If I’m not playing well & the shots aren’t working, I need to show my opponent I’m still there & I’m still fighting. This is something I’m trying to work on & something I need to improve,” world No. 4 said.
Elena Rybakina says her calm attitude sometimes confuses her opponents: “I'm trying to be calm & not show if I'm upset or angry... no matter the situation. It helps me & maybe also sometimes confuses the opponents, especially in the beginning when nobody knew me. It took them…
The 24-year-old tennis player will make her debut at the WTA Finals for the first time, despite being a Grand Slam champion in 2022. The ban on Russian and Belarusian tennis players resulted in no points being awarded, and consequently Rybakina ended up outside the top 20, far from the top 8.
The groups in which each player will be placed have not yet been determined. They will be drawn using four pots, with two players in each, paired according to their rankings: 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and so on.
In this way, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek share a pot, ensuring that they will be placed in separate groups. As for Rybakina, she shares a pot with Coco Gauff, making her the only player whose placement in separate groups is known prior to the draw.
