Elena Rybakina spoke about the female "Big-Three" and the comparisons with Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic.
The Kazakh player is at Wimbledon to defend the title she won last year, which was her first Grand Slam. Rybakina has established herself as one of the favorites in every tournament she plays, and along with Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, they have formed a rivalry in the past year, being the favorites in every tournament they enter.
Due to the youth of these players and the possibility of them dominating the WTA tour in the coming years, they have been compared to the male "Big Three," namely Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, who formed the greatest rivalry of the 21st century, dominating the tour for 20 years.
When asked about these comparisons, Rybakina mentioned that she hasn't heard much about the topic as she doesn't follow the internet closely.
“I hear it only on press conferences. I don’t follow much on internet..I think it’s too early to say anything about 3 players. It’s not like it’s Roger Federer or Djokovic. That’s still too far. Anyone still can beat anyone”
Elena Rybakina on big 3 with Iga Swiatek & Sabalenka: “I hear it only on press conferences. I don’t follow much on internet..I think it’s too early to say anything about 3 players. It’s not like it’s Roger Federer or Djokovic. That’s still too far. Anyone still can beat anyone”
Swiatek, Sabalenka, and Rybakina are currently ranked as the world No. 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and they have collectively won six Grand Slam titles, with Swiatek being the standout with four of those victories.
Rybakina had a successful debut in the first round of Wimbledon against American player Shelby Rogers, who posed several challenges. The defending champion at the All England Club had to come from a set down to win a tough match by the score of 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
In the second round of the tournament, the 24-year-old tennis player will have to wait for her opponent between Alize Cornet and Nao Hibino. Cornet is currently ranked as the world No. 74, while Hibino entered the tournament as a lucky loser following the withdrawal of Montenegrin player Danka Kovinic.
