Elena Rybakina’s Innocent Childhood Story behind Unexpected College Tennis Decision Ends Journalist’s Curiosity Once and for All

Elena Rybakina is a player with few words but tremendous skill; both on and off the court, her brevity has become her trademark. Yet, amidst the clamor of journalists seeking insight into her unconventional path, Rybakina’s straightforwardness takes on a new shade, transforming innocence into intrigue. When the media questioned her decision to forego college in favor of pursuing tennis, her minimalist response left them wanting more.

As the Grand Slam champion reached Rome for the next tennis event, she was asked about her preference for leaving things she had a lot of other opportunities behind, and chose tennis. She stated, “Why did I prefer tennis? I just like to play tennis.” 

During a press conference, she opened up about how there was a time when she received a lot of offers from colleges in America to play tennis for them. But she rejected those offers just to stay close to home. Further, she mentioned, “Well, it was a choice for me kind of to go, to study in America and everything, but I didn’t really want to go. Yeah, I decided to try and keep on playing.” 

The 4th ranked player added, “Well, I just didn’t want to go far from home, yeah.” But the questions then stopped there, one after the other, as the journalist wanted to know a lot of things about why she thought that going through immediately was a better option than going to America. However, with her innocent and simple answers, they were literally left intrigued to know more, and more about her.

Rybakina began her career among the top players in tennis when she made her debut on the WTA Tour in Moscow in October 2017. The 24-year-old became a formidable force in the tennis world when she won her first WTA Tour title at the 2019 Bucharest Open, only a few months short of turning 20. Her rise has been nothing short of extraordinary since then, and she now holds an amazing seven singles titles.

On the other hand, her victory at Wimbledon in 2022, which cemented her place as a serious contender on the biggest stages of the sport, is one of her greatest accomplishments. In the same way, when asked about defending her Italian Open title, she kept her answer short, and her intentions loud and clear to her competitors.

Elena Rybakina puts in a short defense to retain the Italian Open title 

Rybakina’s recent triumph at the 2023 Italian Open marked another milestone in her illustrious career, following her successful defense of the 2023 Indian Wells title. However, this year posed a new challenge as she faced the setback of injury, preventing her from defending her Indian Wells crown.

With the Italian Open looming on the horizon, journalists eagerly sought her perspective during a press conference. She stated, “Yes, I mean, I like playing. I want to keep on going. I think, Why not?” The fourth-ranked tennis player will face Aryna Sabalenka in the 2024 Italian Open draw. Fans may anticipate an exciting semifinal match that should display the finest of Rybakina and Sabalenka’s skill and determination on the court if they make it past the first round.

Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on Rybakina’s quick answers? Do let us know in the comment section below.