Rybakina Hoping For 'Big Court' At Australian Open After Last Year's Fiasco

Sunday, 07 January 2024 at 22:15

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byZachary Wimer

Elena Rybakina had an interesting start to the 2023 Australian Open and is hoping for things to be a bit different this season.

Elena Rybakina started last year's Australian Open on one of the smaller outer courts, which was an odd choice for a reigning Grand Slam champion at that time. She won Wimbledon the year before, but in her own words, it didn't really surprise her that she had to start on Court 13.

The best comeback to that came from her on-court play, as she bested many good opponents to make her way to the final. It was a losing effort against Aryna Sabalenka, but ahead of this year's event, Rybakina is hopeful that she will begin on one of the bigger courts, as she said after her triumph at the 2024 Brisbane International.

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Well, I hope I'm going to start on the big court this year. Of course before I was a bit upset why I'm playing on that court, not on another one. By now I don't really care on which court I'm going to play. I just try to focus on my game and go so far in the tournament that I'm going to be playing always on center court.

It's interesting to note that, in retrospect, Rybakina didn't feel good about the choice of court, and that's perfectly normal. Very few players would, but it seems like she's mature now, and after some challenges that she had to endure last year, Rybakina gets tilted far less.

It's actually one of the things that work well for her in matches. The calmness is something that can be quite unsettling. In any case, in a week's time, we'll find out where she'll begin the first Grand Slam of the season.

Do you think she will start on one of the bigger courts this year? Let us know below!