Rybakina had everything in her hands but then she missed a routine forehand which could have given her a match point.

The Internazionali BNL d'Italia also known as the Italian Open announced the draw on Monday, with World No.1 and top seed Iga Swiatek on the opposite half of the draw to No.4 and defending champion Elena Rybakina.

She’s set to face Iga Swiatek—the WTA's world No. 1 vs. No. 2—in a rematch of last year’s excellent three-set title match.

Elena Rybakina failing to close out the match against Aryna Sabalenka in a stunning way also had an impact on Coco Gauff as the American won't be making her top-2 debut on Monday. When the Madrid Open started, world No. 2 Sabalenka as the defending champion had 1,000 points to defend while third-ranked Gauff just 45.

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek avenged her loss in last year's final to Aryna Sabalenka and won the Madrid Open on Saturday after a third-set tiebreaker, telling her opponent after the championship match that "it's always a challenge playing against you.

The victory notably saw Sabalenka halt Rybakina’s 17-match win streak on clay courts and set up a 2023 final rematch with world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. Rybakina had dominated her Brisbane final with the world No. 2 at the start of the season, dropping just three games. It looked like more of the same would play out until nerves crept in.

The world number one saved three match points before coming through a tense tie-break to complete a 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7) victory.

Aryna Sabalenka defeated Elena Rybakina in a three-set thriller in the SF of the 2024 Madrid Open at the Manolo Santana, ending Rybakina's 16-match clay-court winning streak. The post Madrid Open Faces Serious Backlash From Fans as Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina Clash Lacked a Vital Element appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Elena Rybakina's sister Anna showed her support for the Kazakh after her recent loss in the 2024 Madrid Open. Rybakina reached the semifinals. Despite a valiant effort against Aryna Sabalenka in the last four,

Defending Madrid Open champion Aryna Sabalenka produced a brilliant comeback from a set and a break down to beat Elena Rybakina and reach the final on Thursday. The Belarusian second seed triumphed 1-6,