Elena Rybakina’s name once roared through the tennis world like a comet, as she lit up Wimbledon in 2022 with her effortless power. But the relentless grind of the tour began to chip away at her brilliance. Entering 2025, her finely tuned body faltered, leading to a fourth-round exit at the Australian Open. A coaching shake-up followed—Davide Sanguinetti stepped in after Goran Ivanisevic bowed out amidst controversy surrounding Stefano Vukov. Glimmers of resurgence emerged as she reached semifinals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and the quarterfinals in Qatar. Yet, setbacks loomed once again at the Sunshine Double with early exits. Now, before heading to clay, she’s not thrilled about tennis scheduling. But why?

The former Wimbledon champion didn’t hold back while criticizing the scheduling of the Billie Jean King Cup. After leading her country to a thrilling win against Australia to secure a spot in the finals, Rybakina voiced her frustration with the packed calendar.

“I know that the schedule overall is very packed, and it’s not easy to even schedule the Billie Jean King Cup. Ideally, if we go to one part of the world, it will be nicer to play the same part,” she said, pointing out the difficulty of transitioning from clay tournaments to hard courts. She added that smarter scheduling would make things “closer to where we want to be.”

Despite the scheduling chaos, Rybakina emphasized her love for team competitions over individual tournaments like Stuttgart Open, where she’s the defending champion. “Of course Stuttgart is nice, but I always like to play team competitions. It’s nice to play for your country,” she said, explaining her decision to prioritize Kazakhstan’s Billie Jean King Cup campaign over defending her title in Stuttgart. She expressed excitement about competing in Shenzhen for the finals later this year.

However, Rybakina is navigating a rough patch in her singles career this season. Her latest disappointment came at the Miami Open, where she lost in the round of 64 against Ashlyn Krueger. In six WTA events this year, she hasn’t reached a final—a stark contrast to her usual high standards. Many were perplexed by her choice to skip Stuttgart, with many questioning whether this decision could hurt her rankings as she forfeits 500 points from last year’s triumph.

Interestingly, Rybakina isn’t alone in calling out tennis’s demanding schedule. Players like Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz have echoed similar concerns about the toll it takes on athletes. Swiatek even opted out of the Billie Jean King Cup altogether, noting that she needed time to “focus on myself and my training” for the WTA tour.

Another thing that might be bothering her is the pressure to compete. Rybakina recently voiced her thoughts on facing a tough time with expectations, but not just externally.

2022 Wimbledon champion on what “pressure” means to her

Elena Rybakina has been navigating the high-pressure world of tennis with a candid perspective. Speaking to the Tennis Insider Club on March 30, she shared her thoughts on dealing with expectations after her Wimbledon win. “You expect a lot from yourself. It’s not really expectations of other people. Then when something doesn’t go your way, you’re getting upset,” she revealed. The Kazakh emphasized the importance of having a strong support system around her, noting that “we lose more than we win in the end of the day.”

To avoid this, Rybakina has taken proactive steps to bolster her team. She parted ways with coach Stefano Vukov last year and brought on Goran Ivanisevic, only to surprise fans by reuniting with Vukov for the 2025 season. Despite the controversy surrounding Vukov’s methods, Rybakina has shown resilience and has backed the Croatian.

As the 25-year-old looks ahead to the clay season, her optimism remains unwavering. “What can you do? Nothing. You just need to keep on going again,” she said, reflecting on the ups and downs of her career.

Rybakina is now gearing up for Madrid’s red soil starting April 21. The question on everyone’s mind is – can she overcome fatigue and reclaim her winning form? Share your thoughts in the comments below!