WTA has been on a rollercoaster lately. With shock revelations in coaching changes and injury bouts, Elena Rybakina takes the top spot. The Kazakh is gearing up for her comeback at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. What’s more exciting is her latest joint session with Simona Halep. Subsequently, Chris Evert made her feelings known about the recent team up. This comes days after Evert aided the Kazakasthani star, when controversies surrounding her coaching split floated.

Marred by physical constraints and medical ailments, Rybakina has been far from the best this season. She parted ways with her 5-year coach Stefano Vukov, who was later met with alarming rumors. Reports suggested that the Croatian coach ‘mistreated’ Rybakina, and he was banned as a coach from the WTA. Naturally, she needed to recuperate from the stress she endured, resulting in a no-show at the Asian hardcourt swing. However, Chris Evert extended her support to the Kazakh during those times and commented: “Wishing Elena the best and hoping she comes back healthy and happy.” And now, the former American No. 1 expressed her delight at seeing Rybakina and Halep back on the court.

In an Instagram post, Rybakina traveled to Dubai – an ideal hotspot for training during this season owing to optimal weather. With the Romanian in town, the duo joined forces for a healthy training session. Offering a glimpse into her WTA Finals preparations, the Kazakh captioned the story, “Back at it. Great practice with @simonahalep”. This, in turn, elicited Evert to take to her official X handle and commend the pair’s much-awaited return saying: “Great these two are back”.

For those unaware, Evert also defended the 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina after her controversial French Open press conference gained significant traction online. Evert, the seven-time French Open winner, commented on a video of Rybakina’s press conference posted to Instagram. She wrote: “What???? You call this snappy? OMG, you guys are reaching…”

As for Halep, the former World No. 1 is eying a comeback at the Hong Kong Open after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced her doping suspension from four years to nine months. Moreover, modest updates haven’t left Rybakina’s side either. Her national team’s coach shed light on the Kazakh’s current standing and upcoming commitments.

Elena Rybakina to participate in Billie Jean King Cup following WTA Finals outing

Kazakasthani superstar Elena Rybakina was off to a triumphant start in the season’s first half. However, she was hit with an unexpected drop in form that crushed her hopes of representing her nation at the Paris Olympics. Regardless of those troubling times, the 25-year-old vows to do better, and this, in turn, was aptly addressed by Yuri Schukin, the captain of the Kazakh Billie Jean King Cup team.

Clearing the air of uneasiness surrounding Rybakina’s future adventures, Schukin confirmed that Elena Rybakina is feeling better and plans to compete at the WTA Finals and Billie Jean King Cup. “Our team leader, Elena Rybakina, intends to compete at the WTA Finals at the end of the season, having qualified thanks to her impressive results early in the year. She is feeling good now, and if she can deliver a solid performance in Riyadh, she is keen to take part in the matches against South Korea.”

However, with a drop in performance and ranking, Rybakina will have to dig deep in the WTA Finals to restore her formidable standing on the tour. With rivals like Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka contesting for the title, it’ll be interesting to see whether the Kazakh packs a wallop or not.