The Kazakhstan tennis star, Elena Rybakina, is in incredible form at the very start of the season in Melbourne Park. With a Grand Slam title already in her bag, Rybakina is on the verge of clinching another one. Notably, the entire tennis community is lavishly praising her, while some are also comparing her to one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, Serena Williams.
Two former tennis players, Sam Smith and Todd Woodbridge, who are now working as commentators, haven’t shied away from giving their assessment of the 2022 Wimbledon champion. Rybakina’s playing style has made them certain that she has “Serena-like” qualities and is capable of winning several major titles just like the American tennis legend.
The tennis community hails Elena Rybakina as the next Serena Williams
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Last year, the All-England Club’s ban on Russian players somewhat obscured the Moscow-born, Kazakhstan tennis player’s triumph at Wimbledon. Elena Rybakina, despite winning arguably the most prestigious trophy in tennis, couldn’t improve her rankings as no points were awarded by the WTA for her win.
Now, having realized her potential, the two prominent commentators Sam Smith and Todd Woodbridge showered praise on the former world no. 12.
According to the Daily Telegraph, talking about Rybakina to Channel 9, the former tennis player, Smith, said the tennis realm hasn‘t really appreciated what a great player they have in the making. He further added that her stroke making and composure make her look like someone who has the potential to win 10 Grand Slam titles.
While assessing her playing style, Woodbridge said Rybakina has the qualities of the American tennis legend, Serena Williams. He stated, “She matches for me the game style and quality that Serena Williams played when she was playing at her best and we just haven‘t spoken about that yet.”
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Woodbridge also said that she has got a great chance of clinching more titles considering her “quiet” Wimbledon victory. The former Australian star further applauded Rybakina by saying that she could have double digits in the Grand Slam tally if she continued with the same style on the court.
In light of these remarks, the Kazakhstan star would look to embark on an incredible journey by adding another major title, starting with her match against Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open final.
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Do you think Rybakina has the potential to reach the levels of one of the greatest in the entire sporting realm, Serena Williams? Let us know in the comments section.