“This is where it’s important who you surround yourself with”: Elena Rybakina on navigating expectations after Wimbledon title

Elena Rybakina discussed dealing with pressure after achieving major results, such as her 2022 Wimbledon title. The Kazakh was one of the guests on the latest episode of Tennis Insiders, the video podcast hosted by former WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia.

This time, the program featured three guests joining Garcia in a group conversation—unlike previous episodes where only one player was interviewed. In addition to Rybakina, two-time Grand Slam runner-up Jasmine Paolini and former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari participated in the conversation.

During the chat, Garcia asked Rybakina if she noticed a change in people's expectations of her after winning her first major title at SW19. “Well, I think the most difficult thing is that you expect a lot from yourself. It’s not really the expectations of other people,” the former world No. 3 explained. “Then, when something doesn’t go your way, you get upset. This is where it’s important who you surround yourself with.”

The 25-year-old unexpectedly claimed the 2022 Wimbledon title as the 17th seed, defeating Ons Jabeur (No. 3) in the final. Along the way, she eliminated former Grand Slam champions, including Bianca Andreescu and Simona Halep—who was a former Wimbledon champion.

Since then, Rybakina has reached 10 finals, winning 5 titles, the most significant being at Indian Wells in 2023. Although she has remained in the top-6 of the WTA Ranking, she has yet to win another title in her next 10 Grand Slam main draw appearances. For a while, she was in the top-3, but has since been surpassed by players like Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff.

“You need some kind of support. Someone who can push you. The team who believes in you. Family, friends… we lose more than we win at the end of the day. It’s something you need to work at every day,” she stated. “You never know when the result comes. You might feel great and amazing on the court, but then one day you wake up and get sick. What can you do? Nothing. You just need to keep on going again. That’s how I see it.”