Elena Rybakina Overcomes Injury Doubts To Move Within Reach Of Third Major | Tennis News

Last Updated:September 12, 2026, 21:04 IST

The Kazakh star said that she pushed herself through pain and fatigue during the tournament, drawing on resilience and self-belief to keep her title hopes alive.

Elena Rybakina celebrates winning a match against Coco Gauff (Picture credit: AP)

Two-time Grand Slam champion Elena Rybakina has said that in the first few matches at the US Open, she was very concerned about her foot and how it would react, but eventually she shifted her focus to her game and now finds herself at the cusp of a third Major.

Rybakina’s preparations for the tournament were hampered by a heel injury that forced her to withdraw from Cincinnati in August and left her uncertain about whether she would be fit to compete at all.

In fact, the injury hasn’t appeared to be a problem and Aryna Sabalenka was bracing for another demanding encounter.

“I was not 100% sure if I was going to be able to even play this tournament. In the first few matches, I was thinking about my foot and how it was going to react. I wasn’t that comfortable playing the first few matches,” Rybakina said while speaking to JioStar.

“Then, my focus moved towards what I was doing wrong on the court and what I needed to improve. So yeah, I found my way. There were also some very difficult opponents and great matches,” Rybakina added.

That resilience has been on full display in the latter stages of her campaign. The two-time Grand Slam champion was pushed to three sets in both her quarter-final and semi-final, forcing her to dig deep and find a way through.

“During the match, I was telling myself that I hadn’t been practising for a week before the tournament. I was convincing myself that I was not tired and that I could still push,” Rybakina said.

“So yeah, honestly, I was just fighting for every point because both matches were very close. There were some moments where I didn’t have enough energy and push from the legs on my serve,” Rybakina added.

Quick Answers

Powered by

Ask News18

What injury threatened Elena Rybakina’s participation in the US Open?

Elena Rybakina’s preparations for the tournament were severely hampered by a heel injury. This injury was serious enough that it forced her to withdraw from the Cincinnati tournament in August and left her uncertain about whether she would even be fit to compete at the US Open.

How did Elena Rybakina’s mindset regarding her injury change during the tournament?

In her first few matches, Rybakina was highly concerned about her foot and how it would react, which made her feel uncomfortable on the court. However, she eventually shifted her focus away from the injury and toward improving her gameplay and correcting her on-court mistakes.

How did Elena Rybakina cope with physical fatigue during her close matches?

To push through difficult moments, Rybakina mentally convinced herself that she was not tired, reminding herself that she had not practiced for a week before the tournament. She fought for every single point, even during moments when she lacked energy and struggled to get enough push from her legs on her serve.

Powered by

Ask News18

Read More