Kazakhstan’s tennis star Elena Rybakina stated that she is focusing
one match at a time.
The 24-year-old registered a thumping win in the first round
of the US Open 2023 after beating Marta Kostyuk in straight sets with a score
of 6-2, 6-1 on Monday.
After the match during an on-court interview, Rybakina was
asked whether she is scared of facing anyone after beating the likes of the
current world number one Iga Swiątek, world number two Aryna Sabalenka and
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, to which she responded:
“Only myself. It all depends how I do it on the court. I
mean I am trying to focus one match at a time and hopefully I will continue
playing like this today.”
The victory and the manner of win was surely an important one
for Rybakina who does not have a great record while playing at the US Open
which remains the only Grand Slam where she has never played in the fourth
round or beyond.
To date, her best outing while playing at the Flashing Medows
was reaching suffering defeat in the third round of the competition back in 2021
to Romania’s Simona Halep with a score of 7-6, 4-6, 6-3.
Rybakina will now face Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in the
round of 64 of the US Open on Wednesday.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.