Elena Rybakina admits she is feeling tired ahead of her WTA Finals semifinal clash but also adds that her competition is pretty much in the same position.
After failing to do well at the WTA 1000 tournaments in Beijing and Wuhan, Rybakina was a long shot to make the WTA Finals. But then, the world No. 6 won the WTA 500 tournament in Ningbo and also reached the Tokyo semifinal. Also, it should be noted that Mirra Andreeva's string of early losses during the Asian swing played a role in the Kazakh clinching the last WTA Finals spot.
So far, so good for Rybakina in Riyadh, who defeated Amanda Anisimova, Iga Swiatek and alternate Ekaterina Alexandrova to routinely make the semifinal.
Before coming to Saudi Arabia, the 26-year-old Kazakh pulled out of her Tokyo semifinal match due to a back issue.
Rybakina addresses her health: I'm tired but others are too
Of course, Im a little bit tired, but I think everybody feels the same. The season has been long, but everyone is going to try to push no matter what. Its really the last few matches left, so you try your best. When you get this far into the season, recovery becomes just as important as the tennis itself. Im just trying to stay healthy, recover well, and do my best in the next one," the world No. 6 said.
On Friday, Rybakina will try to clinch her 10th consecutive win when she takes on Jessica Pegula at the WTA Finals. Going into the match, the Kazakh - who defeated the American 6-4 6-1 during Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers earlier this year - owns a 3-2 record in their head-to-head.
For the 26-year-old, it will also mark her first time playing in the semifinal stage of the WTA Finals. Previously, she picked up back-to-back exits at the season-ending tournament in 2023 and 2024.
It remains to be seen if Rybakina can continue with her strong form and get the job done against Pegula.
