Elena Rybakina shares the impact her rivalry with Aryna Sabalenka is having on her game

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Elena Rybakina has continued her remarkable 2026 form into Miami, having secured her spot in the Round of 16 seemingly without breaking a sweat.

Having won the Australian Open title and reached the final of Indian Wells, the Kazakh superstar finally seems to have merged consistency with her overpowering play style.

Unsurprisingly, it is proving difficult for her opponents to stop.

Only Aryna Sabalenka seems capable of being a consistent thorn in her side, and Elena Rybakina` has now discussed their rivalry, explaining how it is reshaping her own game.

Elena Rybakina discusses her rivalry with Aryna Sabalenka

Chatting with Tennis Channel after her latest win, she was asked how it feels to have struck up such a fierce rivalry with the world number one.

Rybakina admitted: “Well, I feel we push each other, each time we play to the limits, and this is how we actually improve also.

“Not only with Aryna, but with all the top players, I feel that there is tough matches that get you to actually think more of what you need to improve, what you need to do better.

“Of course, with Aryna, it’s always tough battles. We’re both big hitters, with the big serves, and I feel like I played really well, especially in the first set in Indian Wells, and then my physical level dropped a little bit, and it was a pity to lose in the third set. We were battling for each point; it was very close.

“So, yeah, but overall I’m happy, the way I’m playing right now and yes, as I say, always say, hopefully I can continue, and the most important thing is to be healthy.”

Tennishead readers picked who they thought was going to win the Miami Open out of Rybakina and Sabalenka, and it’s telling that these two seem to be the only real options for these elite titles at the moment.

Elena Rybakina’s head-to-head record against Aryna Sabalenka

Rybakina and Sabalenka have met many times over their careers, but of late, it feels like the stakes have been raised on a more consistent level.

After all, the Belarusian did come out on top in their first-ever meeting in a Grand Slam final, winning the 2023 Australian Open, but since then, the tide seems to have turned somewhat.

Before last week’s Indian Wells final, which Sabalenka won, she had lost her last four finals to Rybakina, including this year’s Australian Open and the WTA Finals at the end of last year.

The world number one narrowly leads their head-to-head, with nine wins and just seven losses.

Given their respective form and prowess in these conditions, it would be unwise to bet against another showdown in the final of the Miami Open later this week.