Rybakina points out the key to her inconsistency: "It's not a matter of surfaces"
Elena Rybakina faces the start of the North American hard court tour with optimism. After a modest performance during the clay and grass seasons, the Kazakh believes she is back on the surface where she has performed best this year, although she rejects the notion that her results depend solely on the type of court.
After debuting with a victory this Wednesday at the WTA 1000 in Toronto, the former Wimbledon champion analyzed the feelings she has going into a part of the calendar that has brought her great joy earlier in the season. Rybakina started 2026 by lifting the title in Melbourne and then reaching the final at Indian Wells, two results that confirmed her enormous potential on hard courts. However, the European tour did not meet her expectations, a circumstance that, as she explained, she does not attribute to the surfaces.
"I don't think it's a surface issue. I feel I can play well on all of them. It's true that this time I didn't achieve the results I wanted on grass or clay, but I think it has more to do with my preparation and the mentality with which I approach each tournament," said the Kazakh number one.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion acknowledges that each surface change requires different adaptation, although she feels particularly comfortable on hard courts, where a large part of the calendar takes place. "I am very happy to be back on hard courts. Usually, it is the longest part of the season, both at the beginning and the end of the year. Preparation changes depending on the surface, but I am happy to be back here," she explained.
With these feelings, Rybakina begins a tour that could define a significant part of her season. If she manages to regain the level she showed in the first few months of the year, she will be back among the top contenders in the major American tournaments and will arrive at the US Open with arguments to aspire to everything.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rybakina señala la clave de su irregularidad: "No es un tema de superficies"