Elena Rybakina, a two-time Grand Slam winner, has made a winning start to her US Open campaign, though questions linger regarding her fitness. Rybakina retired from her previous tournament in Cincinnati due to injury, but appeared comfortable on court during her opening match at Flushing Meadows.
"We will see day by day," Rybakina said regarding her fitness. "I wasn't playing or doing much physically [in the build-up to the tournament]. It's just one step at a time. The most important thing is to recover and listen to the body. For now, I'm ok."
Rybakina secured a dominant victory over the world number 585, who had previously served as Serena Williams' body double in the film 'King Richard.' Rybakina controlled points from the baseline and was strong on serve, dropping only three points in the first set and never facing a break point until the sixth game of the second set, where she saved both opportunities.
She converted her first three break points to establish a commanding lead and eventually served out the match with her sixth ace of the contest. This marked her 363rd ace of the season, leading the tour.
The young wildcard, making her WTA Tour main-draw debut after winning the USTA Girls' 18s National Championship, showed resilience, saving three match points with aces. Rybakina acknowledged her opponent's performance, stating, "She played really well today. She has great shots, great serve, it was no easy. I'm just happy to be here. I really enjoyed it."
Rybakina acknowledged that the race to become world number one is a motivating factor but emphasized her focus on a match-by-match approach.