The rumor mill is buzzing, and this time, all eyes are on Elena Rybakina. After her recent split from coach Stefano Vukov, the former Wimbledon champion took some time off to recover from injuries before the China Open. However, the tournament marked her ninth withdrawal of this season. That’s not something Rybakina would have envisioned. However, it looks like she might make her long-awaited comeback soon.

The Instagram post shared by the official account of the World Tennis League hints that Rybakina will feature in the exhibition event. The Kazakh is among several top players who are expected to gather in Abu Dhabi for “The Greatest Show on Court.” Hosted by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT), and Miral, the tournament includes other notable names like Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Nick Kyrgios.

The event is scheduled for December 19-22, 2024, and it has got Rybakina’s fans hopeful. If she features in Abu Dhabi, this exhibition would mark Rybakina’s first appearance in a long time, after withdrawing from several tournaments, including the US Open. She withdrew from the US Open shortly before her second-round match against Jessika Ponchet due to injuries. Elena had previously won her opening match against Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava. She announced her withdrawal, stating, “I did not want to finish the last Grand Slam of the year this way, but I have to listen to my body.”

This was followed by another statement right before the China Open in Beijing, which read, “Due to an ongoing back injury, I regretfully have to withdraw from the upcoming Asian tournaments. While I’ve been working hard on my recovery, my medical team and I have decided it’s best to prioritize my health at this time.”

Rybakina’s time off has now fueled a great deal of anticipation for her return. Her fans eagerly await the chance to see the Kazakh showcase her skills once again. As she said, in her own words, “This has been a challenging year and I am grateful for the support from the tournament organizers and all of my fans. My team and I will work on getting me back on the court before the season finale.”

While everybody waits to hear from the tennis player herself regarding her next move, whispers about the reasons behind her split with her coach Vukov are still floating around the community. The details of that are, however, yet to be clarified by either party.

Insider speaks out on the issue surrounding Elena and Vukov

The Russian journalist Sofya Tartakova recently shed light on Rybakina’s struggles, linking her injury woes to her split with Vukov. She revealed that Elena’s issues may be more “psychosomatic” than purely physical.

During an interview on the ‘Tennis Bolshei’ YouTube channel, Tartakova stated that while the official reason for Rybakina’s withdrawal was a back injury, there is more to the story. “Many people do not understand the reason for such health problems. They said that she is having difficulties,” she added. “But as people who did not work with her but were involved in her professional career, say, she is now under a lot of stress and it is all psychosomatic. She is now in a completely disorganized state, she cannot play.”

At the time she announced her split with Vukov though, Rybakina didn’t say anything to suggest that her relationship with the ex-coach was strained or distressing. She thanked Vukov for all his support. We might have to wait until the truth comes out, but in the meantime, the fans are hoping for Rybakina to make a thumping return. Do you think she will hit top form straightaway after her return?