Julia Goerges reveals Elena Rybakina is her “favorite player” to watch as the 2018 Wimbledon semifinalist says she is a major admirer of the Kazakh’s game.
During 15-year career, the ex-German tennis star achieved some notable things – seven titles – making a Grand Slam semifinal in singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles – as well as achieving a career-high ranking of No. 9 in the world.
Since Goerges retired in 2020, the change at the top happened and now Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff are widely regarded as the four top players in the game.
But while the 25-year-old Kazakh has had less Grand Slam success than the Pole and the Belarusian, the former world No. 9 is still picking the 2022 Wimbledon winner as the one she likes to watch the most.
Goerges: Rybakina plays without compromise
“I really like Elena because I can relate to her way of playing tennis. She plays without compromise. Unlike her groundstrokes and her serve, she can do better at the net. I like those sharp, saturated shots and that good serve. I think that’s how you win Grand Slam tournaments,” the 2018 Wimbledon semifinalist told Tenis Magazine..
“Elena doesn’t hope for it, she plays for it. I really like Iga Swiatek athletically, with the way she moves. I haven’t seen Aryna Sabalenka for a while. She trains incredibly hard and has been improving over the years. She [Sabalenka] fully deserves her place at the top of the world rankings – but if I had to pick one, it would be Elena.”
Elena Rybakina© WTA Finals Riyadh/Instagram – Fair Use
This past season, Rybakina battled injury and health issues throughout the year and there was also that stunning split with coach Stefano Vukov that came just before she abruptly pulled out of her US Open second-round match.
Heading into the 2025 season, she now works with Goran Ivanisevic and seems to have gotten back to being fully healthy.
If Rybakina is able to play consistently in 2025, there is no doubt that she will be a major factor in the biggest tournaments.
Tennis World USA