Elena Rybakina disappointed over lack of practice at WTA Finals due to stadium delay, believes windy conditions will make good tennis hard to come by
Elena Rybakina is set to compete in the WTA Finals for the first time in her career. However, her preparation for the year-ending tournament has been hampered by the delayed construction of the stadium in Cancun, Mexico.
The Plaza Quintana Roo will serve as the venue for the WTA Finals, and the WTA has reportedly spent $6 million to build a new stadium that will feature the main court.
But, its construction was not complete until one day before the main action. This left players without a proper chance to familiarize themselves with the court conditions and have enough practice in a new environment.
Elena Rybakina was not pleased by the delay in having a hitting session on the new court ahead of such a big tournament. In her pre-tournament press conference, the Kazakh said that her first practice session will be in the evening before her first match.
She is trying to do the best she can in the circumstances and is aware of the windy conditions in the coastal Mexican city that will impact the game in a big way.
"Well, it's surprise me that we didn't get a chance yet to practice. I think that's the only day now. I'm going to get the first hit in the evening. Tomorrow I have to play the match, so this is a bit disappointed," Rybakina said.
"But it is what it is. I guess we're going to try to do our best to show good tennis, which is not going to be I think that easy with such a windy conditions. But overall, I mean, Mexico is really nice. Yeah, I think we just try to do our best here," she continued.
Elena Rybakina has tough WTA Finals clashes ahead
Elena Rybakina is seeded No. 4 at the WTA Finals. She is drawn in the Bacalar group along with No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka, No. 5 Jessica Pegula, and No. 8 Maria Sakkari. The 24-year-old will play her first match against Pegula on October 30.
Rybakina qualified for the year-ending championships after dominating performances in a year in which she won her first two WTA 1000 titles. She emerged victorious at the Indian Wells and Italian Open. In addition, she also reached the final of the Australian Open.
So, the 24-year-old will hope to replicate her Wimbledon winning run in Cancun and finish her season on a high note by taking home the trophy.