Martina
Navratilova commented on
Elena Rybakina's victory at the
Rome Open.
The
Kazakhstani player surprised with her performance at the tournament. Despite
her recent success, including winning Wimbledon and reaching the final of the
Australian Open, Rybakina was not known for her clay court skills.
By winning
a WTA 1000 event on clay, Rybakina has established herself as one of the
favorites for the upcoming
French Open, which starts in a week. Martina
Navratilova expressed that she was not surprised by the level of play displayed
by the current world No. 4.
"Her
winning in Rome, it's pretty big... I'm not surprised by it. Don't forget,
Rybakina grew up on clay. She knows how to move on it. She's a smooth mover,
she can neutralize the power of the big hitters & just seems so
level-headed in every way," Navratilova said.
Currently,
the 2023 BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells champion is awaiting her debut at the French
Open, where she will face a player who came through the qualifying rounds.
