Elena Rybakina ‘still has a lot to achieve’ as former world No 3 issues optimistic verdict
Former world No 3 Nadia Petrova believes Elena Rybakina will have “every opportunity” to win a Grand Slam singles title in 2026 after a strong end to her 2025 season.
World No 5 Rybakina is already a Grand Slam champion, having triumphed at Wimbledon back in 2022, while then finishing as the runner-up at the 2023 Australian Open.
2025 proved to be a difficult year at times for the Kazak, particularly at Grand Slam level — with the 26-year-old not reaching a single major quarter-final this season, her first such year since 2020.
However, Rybakina finished her season in style, riding an 11-match win streak across the closing stages of 2025.
The Kazakh claimed her second title of 2025 at the Ningbo Open in China before reaching the quarter-final of the Pan Pacific Open, withdrawing from her semi-final after sealing WTA Finals qualification.
Rybakina then starred at the WTA Finals with an unbeaten campaign, ending her season with a hugely impressive 6-3, 7-6(0) triumph over world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
The 26-year-old struggled with multiple health and fitness issues throughout 2024 and faced uncertainty regarding her coach, Stefano Vukov, in 2025 — with the Croatian initially suspended from WTA-level events before being cleared to rejoin her tournament entourage in August.
It has been three years since Rybakina reached her second and most recent Grand Slam final in Melbourne, although many have predicted that the Kazakh will cement her place as a force in the women’s game next year.
Tennis News
Carlos Alcaraz leaves Wimbledon champion ‘worried’ he could quit tennis early like Bjorn Borg
Iga Swiatek reveals if she is happy being world No 2 as she explains how WTA Tour has evolved
Among those are former French Open semi-finalist Petrova, who expressed her belief that Rybakina would embark on a strong season in a recent interview with Championat.
She said (translated from Russian): “I’m very happy that Rybakina was able to rebound and come back.
“Her hard work, her positive attitude, and her composure are evident. And next year could very well be a breakout year for Elena.
“She has every opportunity to win a Grand Slam, advance higher, and even challenge Aryna Sabalenka. Elena Rybakina is a talented tennis player with a very good, clean technique and a great feel for the ball.
“I think she still has a lot to achieve in women’s tennis.”
Looking to maintain her unbeaten streak from the end of 2025, Rybakina will start her 2026 season at the Brisbane International, a WTA 500-level event.
The Kazakh lifted the title at the tournament in 2024, thrashing Sabalenka in the final, though skipped the event in favour of the United Cup in 2025.
Rybakina is currently the third-highest-ranked player on the tournament’s entry list, behind world No 1 Sabalenka and world No 4 Amanda Anisimova.
She will then head to the Australian Open, with the opening Grand Slam of the year starting on January 18 in Melbourne.
Though she was a finalist at the tournament back in 2023, the world No 5 has struggled at the event since then.
Rybakina was stunned by Anna Blinkova in a significant second-round upset back in 2024, before a three-set defeat to eventual champion Madison Keys in the fourth round in 2025.
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.
Read Next: Former British No 1 finds a brutal word to describe Sabalenka vs Kygrios ‘Battle of the Sexes’ clash
