Elena Rybakina will compete in her first tournament as the World No. 1 and top seed at the China Open in Beijing. Following her win at the US Open on September 12, where she secured the No. 1 ranking and a place at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells, Rybakina is set to face Armenia's Alina Charaeva in the second round on Saturday.
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Rybakina's immediate goal is to maintain her No. 1 status for the rest of the season, with aspirations of winning the Roland Garros title to complete a Career Slam. "Now I'm No. 1, which is great. Still it's not the end of the season. I would like to push and finish at No. 1," Rybakina stated during a media day press conference on Thursday. She acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying, "It's a lot of good players, a lot of tough opponents. Anything can change. That's the goal for now."
Since her US Open victory, Rybakina has had a busy schedule. She participated in a media tour in New York City the day after the tournament, making appearances on "CBS Mornings" and "Today" on NBC. Following that, she traveled back to Europe and Asia for celebrations before heading to Beijing.
In a notable diplomatic gesture, Rybakina was welcomed by Slovakia's President Peter Pellegrini in Bratislava and later hosted by Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana, where she was awarded Kazakhstan's Order of Barys for her contributions to the sport.
"It’s been a lot of traveling. I did some commitments which I had to do. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to do different stuff which I wanted -- with the kids, some clinics. I spent very nice time in the house resting, relaxing. It's been a good time," Rybakina reflected.
Rybakina, the first player from Kazakhstan to achieve the World No. 1 ranking, emphasized the importance of enjoying the moment amidst the pressures of being at the top. "I just [became] No. 1. I feel like the most important is to enjoy. It's not easy always. For that I have people around me. Sometimes I can be down or up, it's important to enjoy," she said.
Now in Beijing, Rybakina has been practicing after focusing on recovery from a lingering foot issue, which she felt slightly during Thursday's session. "Since I was resting, my foot was a bit better. Now I'm back on the court, I still feel here and there. Again, I try to push myself, see how far I can go in this tournament," Rybakina noted, expressing optimism about her mental state as she prepares for her match against Charaeva, who won her first-round match against Yuliia Starodubtseva.