Elena Rybakina suffered a surprising second-round exit at the 2025 Miami Open, losing to Ashlyn Krueger. While some fans encouraged the 25-year-old to return stronger, others were heartbroken by the result.
Rybakina received a first-round bye by virtue of being the third seed but couldn't replicate her form from the previous two editions, where she finished as the runner-up. Krueger started strong, securing a break in the first set and taking it 6-4 but the Kazakh bounced back and took the second set 6-2 to force the match into a decider. However, the American eventually triumphed 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 and Rybakina was out of the Miami Open.
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Many tennis fans were left disappointed as the World No. 8 suffered a shocking early exit from the tournament.
"Her prime era is over," a fan wrote.
Another fan suggested that Rybakina should resolve her off-court issues, seemingly related to her former coach, Stefano Vukov. The WTA investigated the Croatian for breaching the code of conduct and has provisionally suspended him, meaning the Russian-born Kazakh cannot bring him back onto her team.
"Needs to fix her off court problems asap. It will be a shame to see her retire with just 1 slam and a few WTA titles," they said.
"She’s always in difficult moment every time she lost 🤡," another said.
"Meanwhile, a section of fans hoped to see Elena Rybakina return to form, with one writing:"
"Hope she finds stability in and out the court very soon, she plays beautiful tennis when she’s confident 🥹🩵," they wrote.
"The season is long and hard. Elena knows how to play and play well. She’ll be back," a fan chimed in.
"This breaks my heart as a fan, I'm so sad for her...I miss the old Elena 🥺💔. Come back stronger my girl!🙏," another said.
Krueger will take on Leylah Fernandez in the third round of the Miami Open, their third meeting on tour.
Elena Rybakina's 2025 season record stands at 15-7
Elena Rybakina has yet to win a tour-level title in 2025, recording 15 wins in 22 matches. She reached the Australian Open fourth round but fell to eventual champion Madison Keys.
The 25-year-old fared better during the Middle Eastern swing, reaching the semifinals in Abu Dhabi and at the Dubai Duty Free Championships, along with a quarterfinal finish in Qatar.
However, her form dipped upon arriving in the United States. She exited in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells after a straight-set loss to Mirra Andreeva, followed by a second-round exit in Miami.
While Rybakina bowed out of the tournament, her fellow top-10 players Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have progressed further in the Miami Open.
