"You'll see me doing some crazy stuff" - Elena Rybakina hints at adventurous off-court plans with sponsor Red Bull
Elena Rybakina recently alluded to going on some exciting off-court adventures with her sponsor, Red Bull. She partnered with the Austrian energy drinks company in May 2023.
Rybakina is currently in London, competing at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. She is seeded fourth in the tournament and kicked off her campaign by defeating qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the first round and Laura Siegemund in the second.
The former Wimbledon champion then triumphed over wildcard Caroline Woznacki in the third round. She advanced to the quarterfinals after her fourth-round opponent, 17th seed Anna Kalinskaya, withdrew from their match during the second set due to a wrist injury.
In the quarterfinals, Elena Rybakina defeated 21st seed Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-2 in just over an hour at Centre Court to secure her place in the semifinals. The win has brought the Kazakh's Wimbledon main-draw record to 19 wins to two losses
During an interview with Tennis Channel following her win over Svitolina, Rybakina was asked about her sponsorship deal with Red Bull, an energy drink brand known for promoting energy boosts and extreme sports - something that is in stark contrast to the former World No. 3's calm, and composed on-court personality.
In response, Elena Rybakina mentioned that she and Red Bull had some exciting plans in the works, but due to her busy tour schedule, they have been unable to execute them so far. She stated that she is hoping that they would soon go on some adventures and engage in some "crazy stuff" outside the court .
"Well I've been lucky to start working with them and actually we have some fun stuff which we want to do but for now I didn't have much time. So hopefully you will see me doing some crazy stuff outside of the court. But yeah, we will see." [01:17]
Rybakina also talked about her love for riding roller coasters and her desire to engage in more fun activities outside of tennis in the future.
"I love roller coasters. I love all this kind of stuff so hopefully I can do some fun things also outside of the court when I have more time," she added.
Elena Rybakina: "One of the things I want to do is jump out of an aeroplane"
Last year, while speaking to Daily Mail, Elena Rybakina talked about her love for roller coasters. She mentioned that she has enjoyed riding a few while touring in the United States.
The World No. 4 revealed that riding roller coasters is a special "treat" for her after tournaments.
"I really like roller coasters as well, and I have ridden quite a lot of them in America. After a tournament it’s sort of a treat," Rybakina said.
Rybakina also revealed that one of the adventurous things she hopes to experience is to skydive. She claimed that her coaches, however, have stopped her from doing so, possibly due to concerns about her landing safely.
“One of the things I want to do is jump out of an aeroplane, but my coaches are telling me this is not the right time. I think they are worried about the landing,” she added.
Elena Rybakina will go up against 31st seed Barbora Krejcikova in the semifinals at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. The winner of this match will then advance to face either seventh seed Jasmine Paolini or Donna Vekic in the final.