Rybakina: Did not celebrate her Australian Open victory excessively, avoids putting too much pressure on herself

After securing her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, Rybakina swiftly traveled back from Melbourne to Dubai to rest and recuperate, before heading to Doha for her next competition. In a pre-tournament interview, she mentioned her hope to keep up the positive momentum here.

Photo of Rybakina

Rybakina stated, "Naturally, we had a little celebration with the team after the Australian Open concluded. It hasn’t been long since the tournament, but I managed to find some time to rest. I think starting the first event after the Australian Open here is a good thing for me. I still want to keep the momentum going and hope to perform well here."

Rybakina revealed that she caught a cold on the way home from the Australian Open, but fortunately she had time to rest and recover. Due to the illness, she did not celebrate her Australian Open victory extensively and spent more time with her team members.

"However, I caught a cold during the journey back, so I had to rest for a few days and didn’t do much. I unpacked my luggage and time just passed by, then I arrived here (laughs). But I believe now is a good opportunity to continue maintaining my momentum."

The Australian Open marks Rybakina’s second Grand Slam title, with her first coming at Wimbledon in 2022. She said that winning this time felt very different from the first time she lifted a Grand Slam trophy, as her victory at the All England Club was completely unexpected.

"Of course, this time was totally different because at Wimbledon, the win was unexpected. I don’t think I was mentally prepared then, but everything went smoothly in the end. That victory came with many different emotions. I had reached the Australian Open final a few years ago, so I knew what to do. Of course, every day is different, with new expectations, and my approach to each match may vary. I see it more like a job, trying to prepare differently for every match."

"I hope I can perform as well this week as I did in Australia. If not, there are many more matches and big tournaments ahead, so we will train hard and aim for good results. Ultimately, I think competing is the best practice. So let’s see how I feel here and how the matches unfold. I won’t put too much pressure or expectation on myself, that’s for sure. Of course, I want to play well, and we will take it day by day."

Rybakina will make her debut at the Doha tournament on local time Tuesday, facing Chinese player Wang Xinyu.

(Translation/ Wang Fei, Photo/ Visual China)