Elena Rybakina receives treatment. (Image: Getty)
appears a major doubt for her last-16 match at the after overcoming injury to beat Dayana Yastremska. The 25-year-old came through 6-3 6-4, benefiting from 37 unforced errors from the Ukrainian.
But Rybakina appeared anything but comfortable during the contest as she struggled with a back problem.
The Kazakhstani player needed a medical timeout after just three games and looked to try and shorten rallies in a bid to seal victory without prolonging her time on the court.
She needed seven match points though before finally closing out matters. The sixth seed was also then seen grimacing as she made her way to the net to shake hands with her opponent.
And in her on-court interview after the match, the 2022 champion gave a candid reply when asked if her back was feeling OK. “Not really. I will see my physio and hopefully he does some magic,” she said.
“Honestly, I didn’t know how it was going to go because it came all of a sudden. I needed to stay there and try to hold my serve. I knew that it would be very difficult for me to stay long in the rally so I was trying sometimes to risk a little bit more.”
Rybakina speaks on court after her win. (Image: Getty)
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If Rybakina’s team can work the ‘magic’ she craves, she’ll face either Danielle Collins or Madison Keys in the fourth round on Monday. The two seeded Americans meet on Saturday.
The problem for the 2023 finalist at Melbourne Park follows a season where she was plagued by injury and illness. Rybakina’s build-up to in the summer was hampered by acute bronchitis, which also caused her to withdraw from the .
And after winning her first round match at the , she was forced to withdraw with a back problem. She then missed a series of tournaments in Asia before returning for the Finals in November.
Rybakina also claimed to be battling fatigue during 2024. It’s not yet clear whether her latest issue is a reoccurrence of the problem she had in 2024 or a new injury.
Still, she’s yet to lose a set in the tournament so far. Prior to facing Yastremska, she came through matches with Australian player Emerson Jones and American Iva Jovic, losing only five games in the process.