Tennis
Elena Rybakina is focusing on these 5 aspects of her game at the US Open
The 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina discusses dealing with pressure and coping with night matches as she bids for success at the US Open.
It's the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, and in many senses, it won’t be different from past editions. The 2023 US Open will again be loud, hot and highly emotional. As one of the most iconic tournaments in history kicks off, we spoke to Elena Rybakina about finding balance, the smell of food and matches at midnight to get in the right mood for Flushing Meadows in New York.
Currently ranked fourth in the world, Rybakina is one of the favourites to win the US Open and has already progressed to the third round thanks to a 6-2 6-1 victory over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk and a bye due to Ajla Tomljanović’s withdrawal in the second round.
01
New York brings the heat
With the most physically demanding part - getting ready fitness-wise for the tournament - behind her, Rybakina is now focusing on starting her journey in New York fresh and well-rested. “Now, as the tournament is starting, we are physically not working too hard. We are trying to maintain the level,” she says.
That level is hard to stay at given the weather conditions at the US Open, which is one of the hottest and most humid tournaments of the year. In the past, these conditions took a toll on Rybakina, who has failed to make it past the third round in the last two years. “During the last two tournaments here in the US I was physically not in the best condition," she says. "At this stage, it’s all about the right recovery. I need to feel 100 percent fit and get to this level.”
Coming into this US Open Rybakina feels like she is on top of her condition
© Getty Images
This year, she seems to have found her groove. Having reached three finals and won one of them in 2023, Rybakina has been displaying some of her best tennis this season. To succeed in New York, however, the 2022 Wimbledon champion knows she need to be in the right frame of mind. “Tennis wise I feel really good on court," she says. "Mentally, I would say the most important thing is to find a good mix. Yes, the focus is on tennis but I also want to see a bit of the city.”
“I know that you can get distracted very fast here in New York as there is so much going on. Let me put it this way: I will try to spend some time outside the court and for the rest it’s all about recovery and focus on the matches.”
02
Challenging the home-court advantage
Hosted at the biggest tennis facility in the world, it’s no surprise that this tournament sees American players dream about delighting the home crowd. This home advantage has led to many American players excelling at Flushing Meadows and Rybakina knows that if she faces an American, it will mean she is battling both her opponent and the crowd.
Elena Rybakina is currently ranked sixth in the world
© Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool
When I’m on court I’m really focused, especially when serving. I try not to be distracted by anything
“I think that the support the US players get over here is fantastic,” Rybakina says. “The atmosphere is crazy. It’s very loud everywhere. At the same time, the crowd can turn on you. It happened to me a few years ago. Normally they go with the underdog or the Americans. That makes it not too easy. But I actually like playing in front of US fans very much.”
But Rybakina, one of the fiercest competitors in the world, is no stranger to leveraging her competitive spirit, which she thinks can also translate to life off the court. “We all are competitors," she says. "This comes from a young age for most of the players. I also think that if you have this mental toughness on the court you are more or less the same person off the court. You have it in real life as well. It can be helpful,” she says.
03
New York, New York
The US Open is unlike any of the other slam tournaments. In New York, planes thunder above the playing area, the smell of food is everywhere and the spectators often move around between rallies.
Rybakina has made three finals in 2023 and hopes to make four in New York
© Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool
These constant distractions make the mental part of the game even more important. For Rybakina, this means blocking out the noise is vital. “When I’m on court I’m really focused, especially when serving," she says. "I try not to be distracted by anything. I speak to myself, saying ‘concentrate on the balls, look at your opponent and do not care about the noisy surroundings.’ It’s a lot about balancing these things.
“If the match is not going your way and the fans are behind you, I try to open myself and let their positive emotions flow into my head.”
Rybakina played and beat Marta Kostyuk in her first 2023 US Open match
© Getty Images
While the atmosphere at the US Open can be intimidating, that has not stopped the tournament from being a favourite among players. And that is particularly true of Rybakina.
“I always look forward to coming to New York as my best friend lives here. At least once a year I have the chance to see her and it’s always great fun. We talk a lot and sometimes go out for dinner. I don’t have much time during the US Open but this year I definitely want to see more than only Manhattan” she says.
Last year was not easy for me... this time I feel more experienced, I know what is expected of me
Rybakina will also have her family with her in New York and is determined to show them some of the city’s most famous landmarks. “It’s the first time my mother and my sister are with me here in New York and we want to have a good time together. I would love to see the Statue of Liberty. That’s one of my goals - apart from playing successful tennis.”
04
Keeping biorhythms in check
The US Open is notorious for its late-night matches, which frequently finish well after midnight. This year, there will again be two matches per night session. Playing at such late hours, with the exertion needed to compete at this level, can cause imbalances in the players’ biorhythms; which is something that Rybakina is acutely aware of.
“I like to play more in the evening but of course not late at night. I had this experience two weeks ago in Montreal. It was so tough for my mind and my body,” she asserts.
Calm on the court, but full of adrenaline
© Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool
Players have little time to sit around after a win. The next match likely awaits them in a 24 to 48-hour period, and playing at night makes the recovery process much more challenging: “You are running out of time given the fact that you have to play the next day again. There is not enough time for recovery. At the US Open we will always have one day off after matches. That makes it a bit easier, but still, hopefully I can avoid it.”
05
Prioritising recovery
At the US Open, one of Rybakina’s major focus points will be feeling fully healthy again after the injuries that held her back prior to her arrival in New York. However, she has become used to dealing with injuries. “All my injuries are a result of becoming a professional tennis player at a relatively late stage of my career. Not many people know that I started practising professionally around the age of 17,” reveals Rybakina. “Before that, I only practised within groups.”
Preparation for this edition of the US Open has been more relaxed
© Getty Images
Even though Rybakina started playing tennis at five years old, the necessary further steps to improve her game and become a professional didn’t come until much later. “I didn’t have a private coach," she says. "I also went to school and had to balance it. My fitness level couldn’t be at the highest point, so I think a few injuries I am now experiencing are coming from the past. I also needed to know how my body works. But it is like it is, you cannot control it. There are a lot of changes in tennis.”
Already in her seventh season on the WTA Tour, despite being only 24 years old, there is a frequent change in tennis that can become a potential cause for injuries. Rybakina explains: “The balls are different from tournament to tournament. This can have an effect on your body as well. What I’ve learned from my coaches and physios is that my body is very sensitive to all these things.”
Playing at this year’s tournament injury-free, Rybakina is also feeling more relaxed when compared to last year. In 2022, she entered the US Open having won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon and was under pressure to perform in New York. “Last year was not easy for me,” she explains. “There was a lot of attention on me as a person. New things were happening around me. I needed to understand all this and I didn’t have a good preparation for the US Open. This time I feel more experienced, I know what is expected of me. It’s much easier so that gives me a good and positive feeling.”