In pictures: Elena Rybakina poses with dogs she helped rescue in Kazakhstan capital Astana
Elena Rybakina was recently spotted posing for some adorable pictures with dogs that she helped rescue in Astana through a volunteer movement.
Rybakina, an avid lover of animals, has often shared pictures of herself with her furry friends via social media in the past. The Kazakh also makes frequent visits to animal shelters and does her best to raise awareness among the public about the hardships faced by stray animals.
The 2023 Australian Open runner-up recently aided a volunteer movement called 'StopOtlov,' which works towards saving animals from catching in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The Kazakhstan Tennis Federation (KTF) took to social media on Friday to applaud the World No. 10 for her kind-hearted gesture as they shared a few pictures of the player with the shelter animals.
"A girl with a big and kind heart. Elena Rybakina transferred funds to the volunteer movement "StopOtlov" (@vd_stopotlov) in Astana, which saves animals from catching in the capital," the KTF captioned their Instagram post.
The volunteer organization expressed their gratitude towards Rybakina for her massive contributions, showering praise on the 23-year-old for her "big and kind heart."
"We are overwhelmed with joy and immense gratitude and can't help but share with you such wonderful news that came out of the blue. The most famous and titled tennis player of our country, as well as simply fragile but talented and strong-spirited girl with a big and kind heart Elena Rybakina drew attention to our wards and provided an incredible help, especially in such a difficult time for all of us," they conveyed through social media.
Rybakina transferred funds (exact amount not revealed) to the volunteer organization that were then used to feed around 3,500 dogs and 150 cats that were in their care.
A look at how Elena Rybakina has fared so far in 2023
Elena Rybakina's journey so far in 2023 has been a roller-coaster ride. While her deep run at the Australian Open was remarkable, she has produced sub-standard results in other tournaments she has been a part of in the new season.
Rybakina started off the season at the Adelaide International 1. She crashed out of the tournament in just the second round after losing to Marta Kostyuk. She then suffered a defeat against Petra Kvitova in the opening match of the Adelaide International 2.
The reigning Wimbledon champion reached the final of the Australian Open next, losing out on the title after suffering a hard-fought defeat against Aryna Sabalenka in the summit clash. The Kazakh then traveled to the UAE for the Abu Dhabi Open, where she sustained a defeat at the hands of Beatriz Haddad Maia in the quarterfinals.