“On talent, Elena Rybakina really does hang with Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka more than Coco Gauff” – Tennis journalist

Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg has expressed his opinion that Elena Rybakina talents are on par with Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, rating her above Coco Gauff. Rothenberg recently discussed the Kazakh’s prowess during a conversation with fellow tennis podcaster Alex Gruskin.
Rybakina began her 2024 season on a high note, winning three WTA 500 titles during the first half of the year. Although she struggled with health concerns, the Kazakh defeated Sabalenka to clinch the Brisbane International title, emerged victorious at the Abu Dhabi Open and triumphed over Swiatek en route to her title win in Stuttgart.However, the World No. 4’s season has been plagued by numerous withdrawals due to recurring fitness issues, forcing her to pull out of events like the Indian Wells Open, Paris Olympics, and US Open. She recently also pulled out of the China Open and the Wuhan Open, bringing her total withdrawals for the year to 10. Despite her struggles, Elena Rybakina still holds the third spot in the Race to the WTA Finals, trailing only Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka and enjoying a sizeable lead over Coco Gauff in sixth place.During a recent episode of Ben Rothenberg’s No Challenges Remaining podcast, Alex Gruskin hailed the Kazakh as the third-best player in the world, commending her on her stellar showing this season despite the “uncertainties” she has faced.

“Elena Rybakina is the third best player in the world. She’s the one you turn to after Iga, after Aryna. She’s in that number three spot and just all of the uncertainties surrounding her. I mean this is a player who is the last player you would certainly put as a tier one contender at any event that she plays. It’s just, can she be healthy for a prolonged stretch of time,” Druskin said.