Elena Rybakina is back in action this week at the Qatar Open, her first event since securing the Australian Open title.
Rybakina has been backed to win the Qatar Open, which represents the very first WTA 1000 tournament of 2026.
The Australian Open champion is the second seed at the event behind Iga Swiatek, with world number one Aryna Sabalenka having decided against taking part.
Rybakina has a great chance of success at the Qatar Open, for which the world number three has now revealed her mind-set.
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Elena Rybakina not putting herself under pressure at the Qatar Open
Speaking ahead of her opening match, Rybakina said: “Hopefully this week is going to be as good as in Australia, but if not we have so many tournaments ahead, and there are big ones, so we’ll try to work on things and get good results.
“I think the matches are the best practices also at the end of the day. So we’ll see how I’m going to feel here and how the matches will go.
“But again, it’s a good practice, no matter what. We still try to work on some things with the team.
“I don’t put too much pressure or expectations, that’s for sure. I definitely want to do well, and we’ll just see how it’s going to go day by day.”
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Elena Rybakina clearly feels differently to many WTA rivals
It’s a fantastic attitude from Rybakina, who has rapidly become one of the main players to beat on the WTA Tour.
Her mental approach has clearly worked well so far, with the 26-year-old lifting the Australian Open trophy shortly after winning the 2025 WTA Finals.
Intriguingly, many of her rivals evidently feel differently about match practice, with Jessica Pegula, Naomi Osaka, Madison Keys and Iva Jovic among those joining Sabalenka in withdrawing from Qatar.
Of course, there are various reasons for withdrawals, but Rybakina has decided against any real rest and recovery at this stage despite her extended stay in Melbourne.
Notably, she will undoubtedly have momentum on her side compared to those rivals, having just claimed a 12th career title.
Her superb honors list, which dates back to Bucharest in 2019, also includes a Wimbledon title from 2022.
| Year | Titles | Tournaments |
| 2026 | 1 | Australian Open |
| 2025 | 3 | WTA Finals, Ningbo, Strasbourg |
| 2024 | 3 | Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, Stuttgart |
| 2023 | 2 | Indian Wells, Rome |
| 2022 | 1 | Wimbledon |
| 2020 | 1 | Hobart |
| 2019 | 1 | Bucharest |
Rybakina is now looking to add more glory in Doha, with the WTA 1000 tournament followed immediately in the schedule by another in Dubai.
The Sunshine Swing arrives shortly after, which features back-to-back 1000 events at Indian Wells and Miami.
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