"I was very nervous" - Elena Rybakina looks back on breakthrough Grand Slam victory against Serena Williams
After her 2023 French Open first-round win, Elena Rybakina was asked about her breakthrough Grand Slam tournament which happened in 2021 in Paris.
Rybakina had her hands full with the 16-year-old Czech Brenda Fruhvirtova but ultimately managed to win without many problems in the first round of the 2023 French Open, 6-4, 6-2.
During the post-match press conference, Rybakina was asked if she remembers beating Serena Williams at the 2021 French Open. The Kazakh shocked the 23-time Grand Slam winner in the fourth round, 6-3, 7-5.
"Yes, of course, I remember this match really well, and I was very nervous to play against Serena. It was actually a great match. Yeah, it was my first Grand Slam where I made it to the second week also, so I have great memories," Rybakina said.
Since then, Elena Rybakina broke into the WTA top 10 and managed to win her first Slam title at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. She also reached the final of the 2023 Australian Open, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka.
What people expect of her can't be compared to 2021 and the match with Williams at the French Open.
"I would say just here it's a bit different now. I'm seeded, so everybody kind of wants to beat me. Back then I was not high ranked, so it's different," Rybakina explained.
Elena Rybakina will play Linda Noskova in the second round of French Open 2023
Elena Rybakina will once again play a young Czech player at the 2023 French Open, after defeating Brenda Fruhvirtova in straight sets.
"I think the generation is changing and there is a lot of young girls. 16 is quite young. I would say I was young just recently. Everybody was considering me," Rybakina said of her first round opponent. "But yeah, she plays really well, and if she continues like this, they have great team. She's going to be dangerous, for sure. She is already, yeah."
Rybakina will now face off with 18-year-old Linda Noskova, who is already the World No. 50. In the first round, Noskova won the first set against Danka Kovinic, 6-3, with the World No. 68 retiring in the second set because of injury.
Elena Rybakina is playing in just the fifth Roland Garros of her career, with the quarterfinals of 2021 being her best result to date. In 2019 she lost in the first round, in 2020 she lost in the second round, and in 2022 she lost in the third round.