Elena Rybakina took an extended break from tennis after competing at Indian Wells and the Miami Open.
Rybakina has 20 days off between the end of the Sunshine Double and the start of her next tournament at the Stuttgart Open.
This meant the star missed Kazakhstan’s tie with Canada at the Billie Jean King Cup, which took place on home soil in Astana.
Rybakina also withdrew from Stuttgart’s One Point Challenge and she has now explained the reason for her break from tennis.
Elena Rybakina explains Billie Jean King Cup miss
Rybakina began her Stuttgart Open campaign with a straight sets victory against Diana Schnaider to confirm her return to the sport.
The star was asked why she took such a long break in between tournaments, which included missing the Billie Jean King Cup.
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“This time, since I played Indian Wells till the end and also Miami was a long tournament, I needed some time to rest, to prepare my body for this clay court season.
“I was of course tired, and there are some things which in the body start hurting, so you need to really take care.
“I discussed with the team, with the Federation, and we decided at this time I’m not going to go to play, but I’m glad that the girls won, and I’m happy that also younger girls were in the court, and they all played really well.”
Kazakhstan impressively won the tie against Canada 3-1 to secure their place in the finals later in the season.
Elena Rybakina’s impressive season so far
After her first victory in Stuttgart, Rybakina now holds an incredible 22-5 win-loss record after her first six tournaments of the season.
The world number two won the first major of the year by defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open final.
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She followed it up by reaching the Indian Wells final and the Miami Open semi-final, both of which were ended by Sabalenka.
Antonia Ruzic is the only player ranked outside the WTA Tour top 20 to secure a victory over Rybakina so far this season.
The star has been in emphatic form and she will be hoping to continue that well into the clay court season.
