Elena Rybakina’s ‘disappointment’ post-Wimbledon, Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal – US Open Diary

Last month, Elena Rybakina did something every single tennis player aspires to achieve: She clinched the Wimbledon title to become a Grand Slam champion for the first time.

Back on the major stage for the US Open in New York, the 23-year-old made a somewhat surprising admission, saying her experience since that triumph “has not been the greatest” and that she didn’t feel like the reigning Wimbledon champion.

After the All England Club decided to ban Russians and Belarusians from competing at Wimbledon earlier this summer, the tennis tours – the ATP and WTA – retaliated by refusing to award any ranking points to the tournament.

The consequences of staging a Grand Slam without ranking points has been felt across a large group of players, whose ranking has not gone up as a result of enjoying a good run at Wimbledon, or those who have dropped many points from the 2021 edition and couldn’t add any from 2022.

Rybakina is ranked 25 in the world but would have been in the top six had she been given the 2,000 points typically awarded to a major winner.

The big-hitting Kazakhstani told reporters in New York on Friday she felt the entire situation was “unfair” and believes there are certain privileges given to higher-ranked players and Grand Slam champions she should be receiving but isn’t.

“Looking back for these few weeks, I played already tournaments, I would say it was a great achievement for me. I'm super proud of my team, of course. Experience-wise I would say it was not the greatest,” said Rybakina, who went 4-3 win-loss post-Wimbledon.

“I think this is the problem of the structure of the tour. Honestly, a bit weak leadership because we have so many things going on. It was my dream to win Wimbledon. It's a pity. I feel like actually I'm not the Wimbledon champion.

“It takes time to realise, but when you're going from tournament to tournament, this is how you feel in the end of the day.”

Rybakina laments the fact she isn’t positioned higher in the WTA rankings or the 2022 Race to the WTA Finals and noted how she would have been ranked No.2 in the Race had she collected 2,000 points at Wimbledon.

“It's everything around. It's the points situation. I don't think that it's fair,” she stated.

“Knowing that as of today I would be No.2 on the Race and I'm not able to play the Race, I don't think it's fair. I'm talking not only about myself, but just generally I think with all the decisions, many players are paying for all these decisions.”

The top eight in the Race – which is based on points collected since the start of the season – qualify for the prestigious year-end WTA Finals. Rybakina enters this US Open in the No.20 spot in the Race and needs to do well in New York to contend for a spot in the season finale.

Tennis can often be about hierarchy. Seeded players at tournaments can enjoy perks not afforded to their lower-ranked counterparts. A higher ranking can sometimes mean you get to be in a fancier locker room, or can call a courtesy car to take you to the venue, or can get better access to the practice courts and the main stadium.

Top seeds and popular players can get preferential scheduling and usually play on the show courts.

Rybakina believes she would be treated differently if she was a top-10 player and while it is unclear exactly which aspects of her reality on tour at the moment are contributing to how she is feeling, she mentioned unfavourable match scheduling and lack of attention as things she has experienced in her last few tournaments ahead of the US Open.

“You can be No.1, and everything is great, but in the end of the day you're just forgetting where you're coming from and how tough it is actually to get to where you are,” explained Rybakina.

“Since I didn't get this feeling to be No.2 or actually achieve it – because it's still a different treatment when you are top 10 or top 20. Even with the win of Wimbledon, it's kind of a different feeling.

“It's not the same as to be No.5 or 4. Same I would say if you go to play tournament. Me, as a Wimbledon champion, I have to feel like, yes, now attention is on me, and I'm playing good. It was good. For example, in one tournament I go and play against the greatest champion, Muguruza, and we play on Court No.4. This is kind of like question for me. I don't think that this is fair.”

Rybakina conceded it is “not a nice feeling” but added that it gives her “more motivation to keep on winning, keep on trying to do good results. We just see how far can I go here and how it's going to be in the next seasons. For sure it's a motivation.”

It’s no secret Iga Swiatek is a die-hard Rafael Nadal fan and the Polish world No.1 got to live through a new experience alongside her idol when they teamed up earlier this week for some mixed doubles in a charity exhibition event held at the US Open to raise funds for Ukraine.

Videos of Swiatek and Nadal hitting tweeners and sharing laughs on the court against Coco Gauff and John McEnroe have made the rounds on social media and Swiatek was thrilled to take part in an event that raised $1.2 million for Ukraine relief.

Speaking of her time with Nadal on the doubles court, Swiatek said: “Amazing, once in a lifetime experience. We already played singles Roland Garros two years ago. Rafa is great. I wouldn't even imagine as a kid, like, playing next to him and being in the same team.”

Meanwhile, last year’s US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez also gave a shout-out to Nadal as she described how much it meant to her to be featured alongside the Spanish 22-time Grand Slam champion on the small poster placed in the centre of the new Babolat racquets.

“Pinch me, is this real?” Fernandez posted on Instagram, along with a photo of a racquet donning her face, as well as Nadal’s, Felix Auger-Aliassime’s and Carlos Alcaraz’s.

“It's a huge honour to be in the little postcard with not only Felix and Alcaraz, the next up-and-coming, but also Nadal. I've seen all the racquets, all the pictures on the racquet, and I was always dreaming like, one day I want to be there with him, kind of be there side-by-side. That dream did come true.

“It's just so beautiful. I was so happy. I think knowing that that dream did come true, hopefully kids can look at that postcard and see those players, and they get motivated to keep going. Maybe one day they can envision themselves in that picture.”

Speaking of idols, Coco Gauff spent a big portion of her pre-US Open press conference gushing over Serena Williams and her career longevity.

Gauff highlighted Williams’ impact on her and her career.

“Growing up I never thought that I was different because the No.1 player in the world was somebody who looked like me. I think that's the biggest thing that I can take from what I've learned from Serena,” said the 18-year-old Gauff.

The Roland Garros finalist and doubles world No.1 then told a story of the very first time she came face-to-face with Williams.

“I first met Serena, she definitely doesn't know this, I think I was 9 or 10 years old. They needed a stunt double to play a young version of her just the face down. I think it was for a Delta commercial. I don't think they ever used it, but that was, like, my first cheque I ever got as a kid,” said Gauff with a laugh.

“She doesn't know this, but the first money I ever made for myself was because of her doing a commercial. I met her. I stopped by her trailer, took a picture. My mom actually sent me a picture a couple weeks ago of me waiting, getting my hair done (for the commercial).”

Daniil Medvedev knows his on-court persona can be divisive at times. In New York three years ago, he taunted the booing US Open crowd en route to the final before winning them over with a heroic display against eventual champion Nadal.

The Russian world No.1, who picked up his first Grand Slam title at the US Open 12 months ago, was asked on Friday if he ever thought about “what makes someone a Daniil Medvedev fan?”

“It's going to be a little bit harsh on myself, but I'm going to say. I do think if you look at Daniil Medvedev only on the tennis court, only as a tennis player, maybe it's not that easy to like him or me as much because, I mean, my technique is a little bit odd,” he confessed.

“My game style is probably not the most flashiest, but that's because I want to win. When I was young, when I was 18, I was hitting the ball as hard as I can. Maybe people would love it more, but I probably would not win a Grand Slam. But I do feel like when I interact with my fans, if they know a little bit more of who I am in real life, they start to like me more. I would think my personality together with what I am on the tennis court, what I am straight afterwards in interviews or my personal life, is what makes some people a fan of Daniil Medvedev.”

You can always count on Medvedev to keep things real in a press conference!

In what was an ultimate showcase of immaculate backhands, Stefanos Tsitsipas had a practice session with Stan Wawrinka at the US Open on Friday.

Wawrinka was accompanied on court by his coach Dani Vallverdu while Tsitsipas had his father Apostolos and Mark Philippoussis in his corner.

Philippoussis has grown closer to the Tsitsipas clan in recent months and was brought in by Apostolos as an extra voice to help the world No.5.

“There seems to be a good balance between them. My dad has a lot of respect for him. He brought Mark into the team. It was not my decision. I have a great relationship with him as well. I thought from the start that he's the right fit,” said Tsitsipas, before adding with a chuckle.

“He's the best-looking one from the coaches. He attracts a lot of opposite gender these days. That is kind of frustrating for my dad and me, but it's okay. We're trying to balance that out as much as possible.”