Elena Rybakina was also a sight for sore eyes on the practice court in Saudi Arabia.
Two of the biggest names in tennis were a sight for sore eyes on Monday in Saudi Arabia as they started their on-site preparations for the season-ending WTA Finals: Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina.
Both Grand Slam champions haven’t played since the US Open, but got fans online buzzing when they were spotted training in the indoor arena at Riyadh’s King Saud University for the year-end event on the eve of the official draw ceremony, which is set to take place on Tuesday.
Having already chronicled her “grind” at practice and in the gym with new coach Wim Fissette in the two weeks since she officially tabbed the Belgian to lead her coaching team, Swiatek will play as the world’s No. 2-ranked player for the first time in a year when she returns to action later this week, having lost the top spot in the rankings to Aryna Sabalenka on Oct. 21.
Having spoken frankly about her career as a “marathon … not a sprint” in her post on social media that announced her hiring of Fissette, Swiatek nonetheless enthusiastically shared a candid snapshot of her team in Riyadh, commenting that the group was waiting for her physiotherapist Maciej Ryszczuk to arrive.
Rybakina also underwent a high-profile coaching change this year when she and Stefano Vukov parted ways ahead of the US Open, and was subsequently shrouded under a cloud of uncertainty about her physical and mental health in the weeks since. After Rybakina made five finals in the first four months of the season, winning three, injuries and illness also combined to derail her second half.
