Elena Rybakina believes she is yet to reach her peak form on the Tour despite a strong start to the 2026 season.
The Kazakh heads into this week’s Madrid Open having won 25 out of 30 matches played since the start of January. 13 of those matches were against top 20 players, of which she won nine of them. During this period, she won her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and, more recently, triumphed on indoor clay at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. She was also runner-up in Indian Wells.
Sitting at a career ranking high of No.2 in the world, Raybakina is hungry for more success. After triumphing in Stuttgart over the weekend, she stated that her focus is not on dethroning Arna Sabalenka from the top spot. A perspective she reiterated once again in Madrid when speaking to reporters during media day on Tuesday.
“I don’t think necessarily only about the ranking. I think the main focus is, I would say, on the Grand Slams to really win these kinds of titles,” Rybakina explained.
“But even when I was number three years ago, it still was a goal to climb higher on the ranking. It’s just each year is an opportunity. I think this year started well, so I hope I continue this way and if it happens, it’s great.”
Since winning the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, Rybakina has added 10 more WTA titles to her resume. All of which were won at events ranked as a WTA 500 or above. As for her progress as a player, the 26-year-old believes there is room for improvement.
“I would say it’s different from 2022 and now but I still think it’s not my best,” she said of her current form.
“Hopefully, I’m gonna build and it’s gonna come soon. But I think it’s still not my very, very best.”
Rybakina has experienced mixed results in the Spanish capital. She reached the semi-finals in 2024 but has failed to go beyond the third round in her four other appearances. Last year, she fell in the third round to Elina Svitolina.
“I will try to adapt depending on my opponent and see what’s actually working here (in Madrid), what’s not, if I need to change something or not,” she said of her approach to the tournament.
“I think overall it’s going to be the same tennis, trying to be aggressive. Here (in Madrid), the ball is flying, so I need to be careful in the first few shots, and it’s important who takes the opportunity on the first ball, I would say.
“My game style is going to be the same, but definitely we’ll adapt and see what’s working better.”
Granted a first round bye, Rybakina’s opening match in Madrid will be against either Antonia Ruzic or Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
