Elena Rybakina sends statement to rivals after losing first event after Australian Open | Tennis | Sport
Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina has lost her first match in more than a month, going out to teenage sensation Victoria Mboko in Doha. The world No. 3 led by a break in the final set, but dropped the last four games to lose 7-5 4-6 6-4 in the quarter-finals of this week’s WTA 1000 event.
It’s just the second match that Rybakina has lost since early October, save for a walkover in Tokyo last year. But the Kazakh star hasn’t been deterred by her latest defeat, and instead warned the rest of the field that she had her eyes firmly on the biggest prizes.
“All of them! There is nothing to choose. It doesn’t matter which Grand Slam. But that’s the goal,” Rybakina joked. After taking out Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula on her way to the Aussie Open title, the rest of the tour will be hoping to avoid Rybakina in their draws at the other three Majors this year.
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It’s been a tough week for Rybakina in Doha, who had a brutal draw despite being the No. 2 seed. She outlasted Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng 4-6 6-2 7-5 on Wednesday but came up short against Mboko in the quarter-finals a day later.
“It was a tough match and I’m actually happy that I managed to give this fight. I hadn’t played such long matches in a long time,” the world No. 3 said. “In Australia, we always had a day in between and I was playing all the matches in two sets except for the final. I think it was still a good tournament for me. I had to do some stuff outside of the court. I think it’s a good preparation, even for the other tournaments.”
Rybakina will now head to Dubai for next week’s WTA 1000 event there, while 19-year-old Mboko faces Jelena Ostapenko for a spot in the Doha final. Mboko started last year ranked outside of the top 300 and enjoyed a breakthrough at her home tournament, the Canadian Open, last summer, lifting the trophy as a wildcard.
She has since won another title in Hong Kong and finished runner-up in Adelaide last month. Mboko reached a career-high ranking of No. 13 after reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open, losing to Aryna Sabalenka. And she’s on course for a top-10 debut after beating Rybakina in Doha.
“I didn’t really have that many expectations because she has a great record now, she just won the Australian Open. Going into the match, I knew I had to play my A game. I understand that the higher profile players you play, you’re going to have to raise your level,” the Canadian teenager said after taking out the Aussie Open champ.
