Elena Rybakina appears in sister Anna's never-seen-before selfie during Dubai trip

Modified Mar 31, 2025 00:17 GMT

Anna and Elena Rybakina [Image source: Getty]

Elena Rybakina may not have enjoyed playing on the court of late, but off the court, the Kazakh tennis ace appears to be enjoying every minute of her leisure time. The 2022 Wimbledon champion was seen in a never-seen-before selfie posted by her older sister, Anna Rybakina, during a shopping excursion in Dubai.

Rybakina's Dubai escapade follows her disappointing outing at the 2025 Miami Open. The seventh seed, a former finalist at the event, suffered a surprising second-round loss to local favorite Ashlyn Krueger. Although she gave it her all, Rybakina lost 4-6, 6-2, 4-6, marking her worst performance in the prestigious tournament.

The defeat was especially costly considering her existing coaching issues—she has no official coach after Stefano Vukov was suspended by the WTA on accusations of mental abuse and breach of the organization's code of conduct. A short trial stint with previous coach Goran Ivanisevic also failed earlier this year, leaving Rybakina without steady direction within her team.

Stepping away from the hot competition, the 25-year-old chose a little retail therapy with her sister in Dubai. On March 30, 2025, Anna Rybakina posted a chic selfie on her Instagram Stories, showing a moment in a luxury fashion boutique. In the photo, Elena was standing next to Anna and a well-known Russian fashion stylist, Alexandr Rogov, who was celebrating his birthday. Anna also shared a brief video of a scenic meal background with the famous Dubai Fountain behind it.

Watch Anna Rybakina's Instagram stories here:

Screengrab of Elena Rybakina's sister Anna's Instagram stories (@annrybakina)

Elena Rybakina reflects on the negative effects of holding herself to extremely high standards

In Picture: Elena Rybakina during the 2023 French Open (Source: Getty)

Elena Rybakina said that her own high expectations, not outside pressure, have been her greatest challenge. After winning Wimbledon in 2022, she won two WTA 1000 titles in 2023. However, health issues derailed her 2024 campaign, even though she captured three WTA 500 titles. Her struggles have carried over to 2025, as she remains winless in a final.

Speaking on Tennis Insider Club with Maria Sakkari, Caroline Garcia, and Jasmine Paolini, Rybakina admitted that she usually gets upset when things don't go right but trusts her support system to keep her in check.

"Well, I think the most difficult is that you expect a lot from yourself. It’s not really expectations of other people. Then when something doesn’t go your way, you’re getting upset. This is where it’s important who you surround yourself with. You need some kind of support. Someone who can push you. The team who believes in you. Family, friends… we lose more than we win in the end of the day. It’s something you need to work at every day," Elena Rybakina said. (11:40 onwards)

Elena Rybakina will now look to defend her title at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany (April 14-21).

About the author

Shashank, a tennis journalist at Sportskeeda, joined the company about a year and a half ago. Despite his background in software engineering, his passion for the sport drove him to switch gears and dive into full-time journalism before which he worked as a tech writer.

With over 1000 articles and nearly 4 million views under his belt at SK, his stories stand out thanks to his deep dives into match stats, player tactics, and historical patterns, offering readers a fresh take every time. Above all, he is meticulous, making sure to double-check information from reliable sources before sharing it.

In Shashank's view, there's no room for debate: Novak Djokovic reigns supreme as the ultimate GOAT. He draws inspiration from the Serb's resilience, hard work, and relentless attitude, channeling those qualities into his own work.

Outside of his tennis musings, he finds joy in hitting the court himself, exploring new destinations during his travels, and watching movies.

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Edited by Pratham K Sharma