Rybakina reflects in Berlin on the danger of social media for tennis players

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Elena Rybakina faces the grass season with the hope of regaining her best sensations after several months marked by inconsistency. The Wimbledon 2022 champion arrives at WTA 500 Berlin 2026 as one of the leading specialists on this surface, although she prefers to stay grounded despite the upcoming weeks possibly bringing her closer to the number 1 ranking in the WTA.

During the Media Day of WTA 500 Berlin 2026, the Kazakh player talked about her relationship with grass, explained why she has decided to play more tournaments before Wimbledon than usual, analyzed the importance of her serve, reflected on the consistency needed to compete for major titles again, and also addressed her recent decision to limit social media activity after receiving numerous negative comments following a defeat.

What did Elena Rybakina say at the Berlin tournament's Media Day? Rybakina avoids thinking about the WTA number 1 ranking before Wimbledon

"I don't think about it too much because lately the results haven't been the best for me. Right now, it's important for me to take my time. There are many good players on the circuit, and you need to focus on yourself. We'll see what happens later."

Elena Rybakina reveals the importance of her serve and playing many matches

"On grass, the serve is crucial. If I have a high percentage, I definitely play with more confidence and then try to create as many opportunities as possible on the return.

It's something I still need to improve and do better, but on a surface like this, the serve is very important and can help you a lot in the crucial rounds."

"I exited quite early in my previous tournament, so I had enough time to play the first tournament in London. Besides, I always enjoy coming here and competing in Berlin. Regarding the next tournament, we'll see how I feel. In grass, you can't train too much; you need to play more matches, and that's when you can start feeling better on the surface.

There's also the schedule and the rule that obliges us to compete in six specific tournaments. It's not always easy to fit them all in. I prefer to do it now on grass than trying to add more events at the end of the season when you might be more tired or not physically prepared. For now, this is the plan, and I hope it really helps me play better at Wimbledon."

Rybakina highlights physical health and consistency as the keys to return to the elite

"I need to be physically strong, of course, and maintain consistency by seizing my chances. In many matches, I have opportunities to break the opponent's serve or to win in straight sets, but in the end, the match becomes very complicated. The first thing is to stay healthy. Then, keep playing and keep fighting. Consistency is the most important thing."

Rybakina and her aversion to social media

"It's impossible to control it otherwise, and, of course, it's not a pleasant situation. Normally, I don't pay too much attention to those things, but at that moment, I felt it was important to do so. Many of those comments are related to betting, and I thought that if those people couldn't control themselves because they had lost money, it was better to give them the option not to comment at all and then reactivate the account."

"I'm not here to spend the day cleaning my Instagram. I have some help with the content, but it's not someone working full time. So I thought it was even better for me to spend less time on social media. I've been trying to limit my use of social media for a while. Sometimes you don't even realize, and they end up taking up too much time in your life."

For me, it's okay not to be on social media. If I weren't a public figure, I don't think I would post too much or spend much time on them. I've learned many things from this experience and I think I'll continue setting clearer limits."

The grass tour represents a great opportunity for Elena Rybakina, one of the most dangerous players on the circuit when she finds consistency with her serve and confidence in her game. However, the Kazakh seems determined to look beyond rankings and external expectations, focusing on health, consistency, and accumulating matches as the keys to competing again for the most important titles of the season.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rybakina reflexiona en Berlín sobre el peligro de las redes sociales para los tenistas