'Trying Hard To Be Unemotional Getting In Rybakina's Way' Says Navratilova
WTA
Elena Rybakina has had high hopes for this season, and while she had great moments, she's far too inconsistent to Martina Navratilova's liking.
In all fairness, Rybakina does tend to be quite up and down, even in matches, let alone events. The Kazakhstani player has a really strong game when she's really feeling it, but sometimes, she just gets in her own way. Overall, this year has still been a huge success.
We've seen her lose multiple matches where she was seemingly in control only to lose control and collapse later in the match. Previewing her chances at the WTA Finals, Navratilova described her tennis as steady but not consistent.
It’s a bit of a dilemma. Her game seems steady and consistent, but her results have not been consistent. She’s more unpredictable than I think she should be, given her game. She’s pretty solid technically but still has high fluctuations in the quality of her game.
The WTA Finals will be her first experience at such an event, and many people want to see how she'll handle that. There is no reason to think that she couldn't go all the way and win the event, but Navratilova doubts it.
For her, Rybakina is still a work in progress, a player trying to find her way. The stoic approach to tennis isn't something Navratilova is a fan of either thinking that it possibly gets in her way of just letting go in the moment.
She still goes up and down too much. When she becomes more consistent day in and day out, watch out. On any given day, her serve is such a big weapon. She’s still a work in progress, still trying to find her way. And maybe she tries so hard to be unemotional that it gets in the way. Let it out.
