Intro:
Elena Rybakina recognized her remarkable journey to the finals of the 2024 Miami Open alongside her sister and her team, which includes coach Stefano Vulkov and physical therapist Stefan Duell. She was defeated in the final match by Danielle Collins, with a score of 7-5, 6-3 in favor of the American.
Currently ranked 4th in women’s tennis, Rybakina’s playing style combines power and finesse. She is known for her powerful serves, reaching speeds of over 200 km/hr. Her variety of groundstrokes and ability to finish volleys at the net led her to win the 2022 Wimbledon title and reach the 2023 Australian Open final with her sister. Rybakina recently posted a photo of her and her team on Instagram celebrating her appearance in the 2024 Miami Open finals, expressing hope to win the title next year after two consecutive runner-up finishes, writing: “I hope the third time is a charm. See you next year @miamiopen. Thank you for the amazing atmosphere and support these two weeks.”
Rybakina lost to Petra Kvitova in the 2023 Miami Open finals, where they recorded the longest-ever tiebreak in the history of the WTA 1000 finals. In a post-match press conference, Elena Rybakina praised her performance to reach the finals, noting that she did not have high expectations for this event as she was not in top physical condition and lacked match fitness before the tournament.
Rybakina mentioned that her quarter-final match with Maria Sakkari left her physically exhausted, and the tournament schedule did not provide enough recovery time. When asked which final loss was more disappointing, she said that while the circumstances were different last year compared to this year, she was still pleased with her performance despite the results.
