A strong comeback yet marred with physical troubles is never a good sign. At least not for Elena Rybakina, seeing as the WTA star dealt with a lot last year. She returned to the tour calendar on the back of an unsuccessful outing at the year-end WTA Finals in Riyadh and upon landing in Melbourne, she surprised fans with her newfound form. However, trouble was only waiting to arrive after an injury scare forced her into admitting a nerving confession, prompting fans to take their pleas to her trainer.

Rybakina made light work of her opening draw at the Australian Open by dispatching Emerson Jones and Iva Jovic in the first and second rounds, respectively. It was during her third-round encounter against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska that fans sensed trouble. The trailblazer seemed to struggle on the court when she led the first set 2-1. As per the updates released at the time, Rybakina called for a medical timeout (MTO) and her new coach Goran Iavnisevic appeared worried about her fitness.

“Rybakina is being seen by the physio as she looks to be dealing with a back issue during her match against Yastremska at the Australian Open,” read the post from ‘Tennis Letter’. Despite her physical struggles, the Kazakhstani channeled her strength to emerge victorious and book a slot in the fourth round of the ‘Happy Slam’ for the second time in her career. Ahead of her upcoming showdown, the former World No. 3 conceded that her injury was a huge concern.

She said during a post-match presser: “I don’t know yet, of course, it’s not so good, since it’s lower back but hopefully we can do everything possible in this one and a half day – but for now it doesn’t seem too good to be honest. I will see my physio and hopefully, he does some magic.”

Hearing this, fans pleaded with her trainer, Stefan, to pull off a miracle before she steps on the court via social media.

Fans urge Elena Rybakina’s training camp to rectify physical concerns before her R4 showdown in Melbourne

Fans took to their respective X handles to address Elena Rybakina’s disheartening injury concerns at the Australian Open. Notably, one fan directed their comments to her trainer directly saying, “Stefan do your magic pls”. Baffled by the update, another fan inquired about the seriousness of her injury, “Please what happened? Was it serious?”, while another user remarked, “Somebody free her omg”. Other users also reflected a similar concern saying, “Oh nooo my baby” and “Goran, Anna even prodigal Vukov do your magic.”

Physical restraints aside, Rybakina dealt with several issues last year after the overwhelming tour-level calendar affected her immune system. The No. 6 seed also revealed dealing with insomnia during a conversation with the reporters in Melbourne during a pre-tournament presser. “For me, the whole year was pretty difficult. Coming back from Melbourne, the issues with sleep started. It’s been going on for a long time. So of course it was not easy. As I said, when my insomnia started, the whole immune system went down. I kept on pushing.”

Having suffered from gastronomical issues throughout the first half of the 2024 season, and later, an unfortunate back injury forced her out of the New York Slam and the Asian swing, things aren’t getting better for the Kazakh star.

For now, the Kazakh’s physical limitations have taken center stage in the WTA action unfolding in Melbourne. With merely a day remaining for her R4 showcase against American Madison Keys, we want to know your thoughts on her recovery chances and whether she can resume playing with her full potential.