Elena Rybakina sealed a crushing 6-0, 6-3 win over Aryna Sabalenka to win the 2024 Brisbane International in a supreme start to the season for the former Wimbledon champion.
Heading into Adelaide International and then Australian Open, Rybakina will now be one of the favourites for the latter and have increased spotlight and scrutiny from the media. Quizzed if she likes being spoken about, Rybakina who is known for her shy introverted demeanor admitted it is one facet of her job that she doesn't particularly like but that it is one that she is aiming to improve constantly.
Rybakina was asked if she would prefer to be less talked about in the tennis world “With a win like that today, you'll go into Melbourne as one of the favorites. A lot more people will be talking about you, writing about you, media. Do you enjoy that or do you prefer to be not…
This shy demeanor but incredible cut-throat game style on the court has seen her dubbed 'The Ice Queen' by some and she certainly reigned over Sabalenka in Brisbane.
Rybakina was asked: “With a win like that today, you'll go into Melbourne as one of the favorites. A lot more people will be talking about you, writing about you, media. Do you enjoy that or do you prefer to be not so talked about?”
To which she responded honestly about the potential of the media spotlight and how in reality, it is the worst part of the job. “Honestly, guys, I don't enjoy this part of our job so much. First of all, I maybe didn't get as much attention as other players. Still if I have to do some kind of stuff outside of the court, it's something I'm trying to improve as much as improvement on the court. Same with this kind of stuff.”
