Elena Rybakina will begin her 2026 campaign having finished last season with a flourish at the WTA Finals.
The star snuck into the tournament at the last-minute, but blew away the likes of Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka to lift the trophy.
Rybakina will play the Brisbane International to start her season in 2026, in a starry field which also features Sabalenka, Amanda Anisimova, and Jessica Pegula.
She enters the tournament as the third seed, but the Kazakh player does not have her focus set on winning the event.
Elena Rybakina is more concerned about her fitness than winning the Brisbane International
Rybakina is aware of the strength in depth at the WTA 500 event, but she does not feel overawed by the situation.
Speaking at her Brisbane International press conference, the world number five said: “Yeah, it is a strong tournament. I think we have probably only two 500 events during the year which is that strong.”
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The star believes that the first tournament of the year will be used as an experiment for most of the top players.
“Well, it’s not easy always to start the season. You’re just coming from preseason. You have been working a lot. I think it doesn’t really matter how you start this tournament.
“Of course you want to do well, but the most important is to show good tennis afterwards, and of course the slam and is always ahead.”
Rybakina will have fond memories of the Australian Open, having reached the final in Melbourne in 2023. The star narrowly lost in three sets to Sabalenka.
Elena Rybakina tipped to win a Grand Slam in 2026
Andy Roddick is firmly behind Rybakina to achieve her first Grand Slam win since her maiden major at Wimbledon in 2022.
The American tennis star-turned-pundit has suggested she has a huge chance to claim more majors this season.
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Speaking on Served, Roddick said: “She finished the year strongly. Seems settled. I think she can win a Major next year, no doubt. She is in that upper tier as far as ability goes, pretty easily, I think.
“I could not think more of her game, so we will see what 2026 brings. But she has a five next to her name. Barring missing months and months and months, and I feel that is the caveat we do with everything, she is going to be higher than that.”
Rybakina has not shown her best tennis at majors in the past few seasons, but the star’s WTA Finals victory could be a turning point in her career.
The star won the tournament unbeaten and toppled the best players on the WTA Tour to lift the trophy in Saudi Arabia.
