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Following her victory in the first round of the 2023 US Open, Elena Rybakina confidently said she doesn't feel intimidated by players like Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, along with other top contenders. Her only apprehension lies within herself.
Seeded fourth, Rybakina showcased her dominance in the opening round on Monday, August 28. She secured victory against 21-year-old Marta Kostyuk with a commanding score of 6-2, 6-1, concluding the match in a span of 1 hour and 27 minutes.
In her on-court interview following the match, Elena Rybakina was questioned about her record of defeating top-10 players in the past 13 months, and how she views her competition on the tour. Her response was that she harbors no fear towards anyone except herself.
“You’ve beaten Sabalenka, Swiatek, & Jabeur in the last 13 months. You don’t fear anyone in the tennis world,” the moderator asked.
“Only myself but hopefully, the rest of the matches, I’ll play like this” Rybakina replied.
She also mentioned her anticipation of a challenging match against Kostyuk. The World No. 4 said that the final score didn't accurately reflect the match's intensity. Despite the closely contested nature of the game, she expressed her contentment in maintaining focus throughout.
“I knew it would be tough. We already had some tough battles. I was prepared. I didn’t expect the score would be like this, but it doesn’t show the match. It was really tight but I'm happy that I was focused from beginning till the end," Elena Rybakina said.
Elena Rybakina's head-to-head record against Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and other top players
Having competed against each other four times, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina's head-to-head record stands at 3-1 in favor of Rybakina. The Kazakh star secured wins at Rome, Indian Wells, and the Australian Open, whereas Swiatek's sole victory came at Ostrava in 2021.
Rybakina has encountered Ons Jabeur a total of five times, with the Tunisian leading 3-2 head-to-head. Jabeur beat the World No. 4 in their last meeting in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.
Rybakina has also faced Aryana Sabalenka on five occasions, with the Belarusian claiming victory in four clashes. The two players locked horns in two finals this year. While Sabalenka won the title clash at the Australian Open, Rybakina downed the World No. 2 in the final of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
After experiencing two losses against Jessica Pegula last year, Rybakina turned the tables by defeating the top-ranked American in the semifinals of this year's Miami Open.
In the second round of the 2023 US Open, Elena Rybakina is scheduled to compete against Australia's Ajla Tomljanović.
