Elena Rybakina was a major doubt to play at this year's US Open after a chaotic month in August left her mentally and physically worn out.
The big-serving Kazakhstani retired in her Round of 16 match against Italy's Jasmine Paolini while leading by a set, seemingly due to a shoulder issue, after playing with Kinesio tape during the week. There were concerns Rybakina might not make it for this year's US Open.
The 24-year-old broke her silence and shared an update to a near half a million of her fans on Instagram, arriving at the Pierre Hotel in New York and then immediately hitting the streets. She captioned the two images with a very positive message saying, 'Excited to be back in New York'.
Rybakina looked in fine spirits which is obviously welcome news after an eventful fortnight in tournaments in Canada and now Cincinnati. In Montreal, some brutal scheduling due to rain delays saw her complete her quarterfinal match past 3 am, leaving her fatigued in her semifinal defeat to Liudmila Samsonova.
Rybakina voiced concerns about the late-night scheduling of matches which hampered her recovery time, and called out the tournament and WTA to act after 'feeling destroyed'. She planned to skip the WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati to allow for recovery from niggling injuries but chose to play on.
Rybakina had a rough time not just fitness-wise but also clashed with her coach Stefano Vukov during her match against Ostapenko in Cincinnati when TV cameras caught her lashing out at the Croat, who earlier during the season came in for heavy criticism for his treatment of the Kazakh.
But even in the midst of a turbulent fortnight, it has been a very productive couple of weeks in the build-up to the US Open. Rybakina reached her first semifinal at the Canadian Open against all the odds and fitness permitting, she'll be one of the dark horses to win her second major title at Flushing Meadows.
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