Rybakina removes herself from the favorite role after Australia: "I don't put too much pressure or expectations on myself"
The Kazakh player talked about what happened after winning her second Grand Slam in Australia: she returned home sick and is now aiming for a record of more than ten years in Doha, her first tournament back.
Elena Rybakina returns to the courts with a new Grand Slam in her bag and, therefore, a new status within the women's circuit. Her flawless performance in the past 2026 Australian Open, where she ultimately secured the title in a tight and intense final against Aryna Sabalenka, positions her as perhaps the main favorite in every hard-court tournament... a status she will seek to reaffirm at the first 1000-level tournament of the year, the 2026 WTA Doha.
However, nothing has changed in the Kazakh's mindset. Her approach to this sport remains the same: maintain consistency and dedication to work, waiting for success to come naturally. Upon her arrival in Qatari lands, though, the focus of many journalists was to find out what had happened in these past two weeks; essentially, how the return to Kazakhstan had been for the now double Grand Slam champion. Elena surprised everyone by stating that right after winning, she ended up catching a bad cold.
"Back home, I got sick, so I had to rest for real for a couple of days, I practically did nothing (smiles). I just unpacked and feel like time has flown by, suddenly I'm already here. It's a good place to maintain a positive momentum," said a smiling Elena from Doha. Rybakina will aim to achieve a statistic that has not been fulfilled since 2013, when Victoria Azarenka did it: for the Australian Open champion to win the immediately following tournament; a feat that names like Serena Williams or Ashleigh Barty have not accomplished.
"It hasn't been long since the Australian Open, but I had time to rest and I am happy to be here. I hope to play well," noted the Kazakh, who is seeded second, just behind Iga Swiatek, and will debut against the winner of the match between Xinyu Wang and Emiliana Arango.
Changes in Rybakina's mindset after winning the Australian Open
When you become a Slam winner, the expectations around you increase. Your own expectations might change. Has any of this happened to Elena? She couldn't have been more honest when talking about her preparation for upcoming events: relieving pressure, stating that nothing has changed, and with the sole purpose of riding the wave of confidence she has carried since late 2025.
"This Grand Slam is very different from the first one: what happened at Wimbledon was completely unexpected. I think in a way I wasn't prepared for it, but everything ended up going well. In Australia, I had already reached the final a couple of years ago, so I knew the way. It's clear that each day and each match is different, but I felt like I was doing my job, it was different," says Rybakina before discussing her near future.
"I hope this week is as good as Australia, but if it's not, we have many great tournaments ahead this year, and we will try to work on all fronts to achieve good results. Matches, after all, are the best form of training. We'll see how I feel here and how the matches go. We are still working on certain things with the whole team. I don't put too much pressure or expectations, for sure. I want to do well, of course, but I'll take it day by day," states Rybakina, a silent assassin aiming to lay the groundwork for reaching the top of the rankings in a tournament that, by conditions and surface, should suit her perfectly. Will she be able to clinch another crown? Stay tuned this week.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rybakina se quita el rol de favorita tras Australia: "No me pongo demasiada presión ni expectativas"