Elena Rybakina Breaks the ‘Practice’ Rule as She Shows Faith in Muscle Memory to Carry Her to Glory

Published 03/29/2024, 2:50 AM EDT

Elena Rybakina is on a roll in Miami, as she is now one match victory away from glory at this esteemed WTA 1000 tournament. During her remarkable campaign, the Kazakhstani tennis superstar has also decided to break one of the rules, as she recently brought to light her pre-matchday routine.

In an interview with the Tennis Channel, Rybakina was asked if she would take a day off completely or maybe hit some balls on the court before her championship game at the Miami Open. The fourth-seeded player, who faced some physical challenges during the tournament, answered by saying, “Well, honestly, without any secrets, every match that I have played here, the next day I didn’t practice.”

The former Grand Slam champion also revealed that it is the very first time that she has decided not to practice before matches during a tournament. Rybakina said, “So, also, it’s the first time for me, we made this decision, and we see how I’m going to feel tomorrow. But I’m not sure if I’m coming on side.”

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As she decided to break the ‘practice’ rule at the outdoor hardcourt tournament, the former world No. 3 player also disclosed the reason behind this decision. Meanwhile, Rybakina also opened up about how she is not at her best physical level on the court as she talked about the tough conditions in Miami.

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Elena Rybakina talks about the physical challenges that she faced at the tournament

Even though she won the semifinal match, the Kazakhstani player looked exhausted during the second set, which she dropped with a score of 0-6. Notably, in the same interview, Rybakina was asked if she faced any physical challenges during her three-set thriller against Victoria Azarenka.

Shedding light on the sizzling temperatures and highly humid conditions in Miami, Rybakina said, “I think, the humidity and conditions here are really tough. And physically, I’m not at my best. So, of course, it was really difficult for me just to stay out there. It’s not easy and to play neither. So I took some break. I changed and I was just fighting for every point. I knew it was going to be a battle, she was not gonna give up, me neither, so we ended up 7-6 in the third.”

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What do you think of the Kazakhstani tennis star breaking the ‘practice’ rule at the Miami Open? Let us know in the comments section.

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Written by:

Anurag Gusain is a Tennis Writer at EssentiallySports, who blends his innate talent for journalism with a solid foundation in English, earned during his undergraduate years. With more than two years of content creation under his belt, Anurag seamlessly translates his passion for tennis into captivating articles. At ES, he is the go-to voice for all things Serena Williams, skillfully covering both her on-court legacy and off-court endeavors.

Edited by:

Ananya Giri

Elena Rybakina Breaks the ‘Practice’ Rule as She Shows Faith in Muscle Memory to Carry Her to Glory

Elena Rybakina talks about the physical challenges that she faced at the tournament

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