Somewhat unexpectedly, Elena Rybakina‘s first destination after winning the US Open was not Kazakhstan, the country she represents, but Slovakia, where she was welcomed by the country’s president. Now, however, the new world No. 1 has finally arrived in Kazakhstan.
Shortly after her victory in New York, Rybakina traveled to Bratislava, where she was welcomed by Slovak President Peter Pellegrini at the Presidential Palace. The Russian-born player has a strong connection to Slovakia, having spent part of each of the past six years there practicing and training.
Now, though, Rybakina has finally made her way to Kazakhstan. The US Open champion announced her arrival in Almaty by sharing a selfie with a bouquet of roses and tagging the city as her location.
The Kazakhstan Tennis Federation announced five days ago that Rybakina would spend a week visiting Almaty and Astana. During her stay, she is expected to hold masterclasses for young athletes, share her experience with aspiring players and meet with fans.
Her visit will also include an important medical check-up. Rybakina is set to undergo an examination for the Achilles tendon injury she suffered at the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati, which forced her to withdraw from her quarterfinal match.
The injury continued to bother Rybakina throughout the US Open. Despite the pain, she managed to fight her way to the title, playing the latter stages of the tournament while taking painkillers.
Rybakina had already made history for Kazakhstan by winning Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open in 2026. Her US Open triumph made her a three-time Grand Slam champion and gave Kazakhstan its third Grand Slam singles title.
