Rybakina's fitness struggles and its impact on her tennis performance

World number four Elena Rybakina has revealed that it has been difficult to focus on her game after struggling with fitness concerns. The 25-year-old has been often regarded as one of the best players currently playing in women’s tennis in the singles category.

Kazakhstan’s tennis star has struggled with fitness concerns, and because of this, she opted to withdraw from some competitions this year as well. She recently opted not to take part in the Eastbourne International to stay fit ahead of the busy season, during which she will have to compete at Wimbledon and, most likely, in the Paris Olympics. Before that, the one-time Grand Slam winner also decided to sit out of the Rome Open to deal with illness.

Rybakina was recently quoted in a report where she stated that it has been hard for her to focus on her game as she continues to struggle with fitness concerns. "Well it's not easy because sometimes you have more energy and you want to do some interesting stuff, sometimes you are too tired and you just want to be on the couch after the matches," Rybakina said. "It's just not easy to balance it out and your wishes and also be prepared for the next day. So, I mean it's just you're trying to balance it out really."

Rybakina is currently taking part in Wimbledon 2024, where she has already booked her place in the second round after beating Elena-Gabriela Ruse in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-1. She will now face Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the second round of the competition. The 36-year-old registered her spot in the round of 64 of the competition after beating Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-1. Interestingly, it will be the first-ever meeting between the two players.