Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina might be the most dangerous woman in tennis when everything clicks, and I genuinely mean that. The Kazakhstani’s serve-and-forehand combination is the kind of firepower that can overpower anyone on any given day. She won Wimbledon in 2022 — becoming the first player from Kazakhstan to lift a Grand Slam singles trophy — and then pushed all the way to the 2024 Australian Open final before falling to Aryna Sabalenka.

Here’s what makes Rybakina so terrifying to face: that serve. It’s arguably the best in the women’s game, routinely exceeding 190km/h, and when she finds her rhythm on it, you’re essentially watching unreturnable tennis. The forehand is equally punishing — flat, penetrating, and it pushes opponents so deep behind the baseline they’re practically in the stands. Melbourne’s fast hard courts? Perfect for that kind of game.

What you might not appreciate from the outside is how methodically Rybakina has built this career. Born in Moscow and representing Kazakhstan since 2018, she’s maintained this quiet, almost steely professionalism that produces consistent improvement year after year. The demeanour is reserved, but underneath that is a competitive drive that’s absolute steel. Her ability to elevate in Grand Slam settings makes her a perennial threat at Melbourne Park.

Career Statistics

Player Profile

Elena Rybakina is a genuine title threat every time she walks onto a Grand Slam court, and Melbourne’s hard courts suit her power-first style perfectly. That Australian Open final showed Australia exactly what she’s capable of, and she enters 2026 as one of the players most likely to challenge for the crown. When that serve is firing, there might not be a more difficult player to beat in women’s tennis.

NC — Staff sports writer, australiafootball.com