Elena Rybakina underrated because of her "mild-mannered" and "soft-spoken" personality, suggests Jill Craybas
Former player-turned-broadcaster Jill Craybas recently provided insight into the reasons why Elena Rybakina tends to be underrated and overlooked by the media.
Rybakina won her second WTA 1000 title of the season at the recently concluded Italian Open after Anhelina Kalinina was forced to retire from the final due to an injury to her left thigh. With the win, the Kazakh rose to World No. 4 in the rankings, marking her maiden appearance in the WTA Top-5.
On May 23, Jill Craybas joined Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs on Sports Talk, to discuss the favorites for the upcoming French Open. The American deemed defending champion Iga Swiatek to be the "clear favorite" for the clay-court Major.
“Obviously Swiatek would be the clear favorite," Craybas said.
Craybas also picked Elena Rybakina as a player to watch out for at the French Open given her recent triumph in Rome. The American, however, noted that Rybakina tends to be overlooked by many due to her "mild-mannered" and "soft-spoken" persona.
"The fact that Rybakina just won Rome. I was listening to as well, people saying if she’s underrated or not. I think it's because of her personality and the way she approaches every tournament," she said.
"She’s not one of those that’s going to be in your face. Very mild-mannered and very soft-spoken so I think it’s easy to sometimes forget about players like that but you have to throw her in there," she added.
The French Open is right around the corner! Our @rennaestubbs was joined by former pro and broadcaster @jcray74 to break down who the favorites are to win it all. https://t.co/dAZQjj8btn
Alongside Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka one of the favorites for French Open 2023, says Jill Craybas
Alongside Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, Jill Craybas tipped Aryna Sabalenka as the potential French Open champion. She commended the 2023 Australian Open champion on her "impressive" ability to handle the pressure and expectations that come with winning a maiden Grand Slam.
"Sabalenka obviously coming off the Australian Open title and how she backed that up, which to me has been really impressive because after you’ve been wanting that first slam for so long, sometimes those expectations can get a little heavier but she’s handled it extremely well, winning Madrid. So I think she has got that capability," Craybas said.
Aryna Sabalenka currently leads the Race to the WTA Finals with 4,840 points to her name. Elena Rybakina is not far behind with 4,276 points while Iga Swiatek (3,145) rounds out the top 3.