Elena Rybakina claims her temperament like that of Roger Federer is natural, as the 24-year-old Kazakh emphasizes that being cool and never exhibiting too many emotions is just part of her personality.
Since winning her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2022 and establishing herself as one of the finest in the game, Rybakina has become recognized as someone who just gets the job done without getting too high or too low in any situation.
The most recent example occurred in the Miami Open semifinal, when Rybakina calmly handled a circumstance in which many players would lose their cool and begin to worry.
Rybakina did not panic after being bageled by Victoria Azarenka in the second set, and she was able to stabilize her game before the start of the third set. Then, with a 5-4 lead and serving for the match against Azarenka, Rybakina faced her first break points of the third set, and the former world number one from Belarus managed to break back. But, as he has done in similar situations before, the 24-year-old remained calm and focused on regaining the upper hand.
The third set ended in a tie-break, which Rybakina won 6-4 0-6 7-6 (2) after taking a 3-0 lead and going up 6-1.
After the match, a reporter told Rybakina that her ability to remain calm in all situations reminded him of Federer and asked her how she does it.
“I believe it is simply a matter of character, but you may observe that I am also negative. Of certainly, I need to bring more good energy (on my side) and demonstrate it to the opponent. But, as I previously stated, this tournament has been so physically demanding for me that the only thing I was thinking was not to be negative, because my first few matches were a little off,” Rybakina remarked.
“Now I knew that I couldn’t lose energy on this these kinds of things, I was just trying to keep calm and just focus on every point, because I knew that’s the only way to get through this.”
Rybakina made an interesting statement on her calm and stoic demeanor in 2023.
Rybakina celebrated her Wimbledon victory and becoming a Grand Slam winner with a modest fistbump, shaking Ons Jabeur’s hand at the net, and sitting on her bench while waiting for the trophy presentation. Rybakina’s Wimbledon win celebration went viral, as many were astonished but also thought it amusing that she responded in such a basic manner, as if winning Wimbledon was no big thing.
Despite the heightened attention, pressure, and expectations on Rybakina following the 2022 Wimbledon, the Kazakh’s on-court manner remained consistent. Rybakina admitted last year that her calm and stoic approach may have given her an advantage in some matches because no one knows what she is going through at any given time.
“I’m trying to remain calm and not show that I’m furious or irritated… regardless of the situation. It helps me, but it may also confuse my opponents, especially at first when no one knew who I was. It took them longer to identify my weaknesses,” Rybakina stated in late 2023.
“Perhaps other gamers are overly furious or expressing too many emotions. They attempt to become more tranquil, whereas I do the reverse, which is unusual…
“If I am not playing well and my shots aren’t working, I need to show my opponent that I am still there and battling. This is something I’m working on, and I need to better.”
Rybakina: Of sure, I experience emotions.
In the last two years, some have described Rybakina as “cold” or “emotionless.” But the 24-year-old Kazakh disagrees, admitting earlier this year that she feels and experiences emotions just like everyone else, but she understands how to hide them very well.
“No, I am trying to disguise it. Of course, on the inside, I can feel nervous or frustrated. There might be a lot of feelings. I just try not to show it and stay focused on my game. Of sure, I’m calmer than some of the other players,” Rybakina remarked during the first week of the season in Brisbane.
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