Elena Rybakina has played down any suggestion of a feud with Aryna Sabalenka after clinching her first WTA Finals title.
The Kazakh star said she had no interest in engaging in a war of words and stressed that she did not take personally what appeared to be an insult from Sabalenka following the match.
The comments came after a video circulated online showing Sabalenka in tears and allegedly making a remark in her native language implying that Rybakina had been fortunate to win, despite performing at a high level.
“Once a year even a stick shoots,” Sabalenka reportedly shouted in the direction of her team after the Riyadh final loss.
Speaking to a Kazakh publication, Rybakina said she was aware of the footage but insisted she would not let it overshadow her achievement.
“They told me after the match, but it was in context. We’ve played with Aryna many times, and more than once this year, so I don’t really focus on it. I have good feelings for both Aryna and her team, so I don’t take it to heart, even if it was actually said to me,” the 26-year-old told Kazakh publication TengriNews.
On court, Rybakina delivered one of her most composed performances of the season to seal a 6-3, 7-6 (7-0) win in the final.
She secured the first break of the match in the sixth game and showed resilience throughout the opening set, fending off three break points across two separate service games before closing it out.
Sabalenka threatened a comeback in the second set and earned two consecutive set points on Rybakina’s serve in the 10th game. But the Kazakh held firm once again, forcing a tie-break in which she was utterly dominant, racing to a flawless 7-0 finish.
