Elena Rybakina praises Iga Swiatek's strong season despite 'unlucky' injury setback, reflects on her own recent dominance heading into Miami Open SF
Elena Rybakina was all praise for Iga Swiatek's 2023 season despite her slight dip in form and an unfortunate injury setback. The Kazakh also commented on her recent dominance as she extended her match-winning streak to 12.
Rybakina kept her hopes of winning the Sunshine Double alive with a dominant victory over Martina Trevisan to progress to the semifinals of the 2023 Miami Open. She served 10 aces and hit 23 winners, giving away only three games en route to her 6-3, 6-0 victory.
During the post-match press conference, Rybakina commented on the work she and her team had put in to ensure a high level of consistency in her performances. While she acknowledged that her winning streak would not last forever, she expressed a desire to extend it as much as she could.
"Now we just trying to keep this level with some blocks of preparation if we have time," the World No. 7 said. "Yeah, for now it's going this way, but we don't know how it's gonna be after. Yeah, hopefully I can continue like this, but for sure it's gonna come the day when I'm gonna lose. Doesn't really change much."
When asked about Swiatek's recent struggles, Rybakina praised the Pole’s performances and stated that the World No. 1 was just unlucky with injuries.
"Iga, she did really well last year, but even this year I think she's playing really well. Just unlucky with injury," she stated.
"It would be amazing to achieve something like that, but it's still far away" - Elena Rybakina on possibly winning the Sunshine Double
Elena Rybakina maintained a calm demeanor despite inching closer to becoming only the fifth WTA player to complete the Sunshine Double. She cited being a match point down in her third-round match against Paula Badosa as a reason for not looking too far ahead in the draw.
"For sure I don't have any pressure. I know that it's very difficult and not many players did. Plus I was match point down the other match, so I really don't think so far in the draw," she said.
The Kazakh acknowledged that completing the Sunshine Double would be an incredible accomplishment, while still maintaining it as a distant goal.
"Of course it would be amazing to achieve something like that, but it's still far away," she added.
Rybakina will take on the winner of the match between Jessica Pegula and Anastasia Potapova in the Miami Open semifinals.