"I don't have driver's license": Elena Rybakina jokes as she crushes Iga Swiatek's hopes for 3rd Porsche by making first final in Stuttgart

Elena Rybakina joked about her driving license situation after she defeated Iga Swiatek to reach her first Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final.

Swiatek, the two-time defending champion in Stuttgart, was edged out by fourth seed Rybakina 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in a two hours and 39 minute-long semifinal on Saturday, April 20. It marked the World No. 1’s first loss on the court after 10 victories.

With the win, Rybakina became the first player to beat Iga Swiatek twice on clay. The 24-year-old’s first victory came in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Italian Open, where Swiatek retired at 2-6, 7-6 (3), 2-2 (Ret.)

Rybakina, who is one win away from claiming the prized Porsche, was in good spirits after the match. When asked about her potential need for speed, the 2022 Wimbledon champion hilariously confessed to not owning a driver’s license.

"You can hit the ball very fast, is this the way you drive as well?" the interview asked on-court.

"Well guys, I actually don’t have (a) driver’s license," she laughed.

Elena Rybakina added that winning the title and the Porsche would be a good motivation for her to pass her driving test.

"So it’s gonna be the goal, of course. I mean, I want (it) already for a long time, so that’s a good motivation," she said.

In her post-match press conference, the former Grand Slam champion pointed at her constant touring as the reason for not clearing the driving test.

"I wanted to do it already long time, but I never have chance to be at one place for long. I did already couple of lessons. I was driving, but yeah, for sure that's the goal for this year outside of the court," she said.

"And with this car, if I win, it's going to be one double goal. Hopefully I finish it this year," she added.

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Elena Rybakina on her "battle" with Iga Swiatek in Stuttgart: "I was fighting for every ball"

Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina pictured at the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix

With her 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix semifinal win, Elena Rybakina has extended her head-to-head lead against Iga Swiatek to 4-2. The duo’s previous meeting came in the final of the Qatar Open earlier this year, where the World No. 1 came out on top in straight sets.

Acknowledging the grueling nature of their clashes, Rybakina said:

"It was like always, a very tough match. And I think my serve, of course, helps me a lot in these important moments," she said in her on-court interview.

"Yeah, I was fighting for every ball and it was such a close match. I’m really happy that I managed to win and I showed a good game," she added.

Further highlighting the intensity of their rivalry, the Kazakh, who trailed Iga Swiatek 2-0 in the opening set, said:

"We both like to dominate in the points so it was not easy to start. She has a really good kick and same for me – I have a good serve. So it was kind of a battle who starts the rally; who starts to dominate. But as I said, it’s always tough to play against Iga. We push each other."

Elena Rybakina will vie for her third claycourt title and third in 2024 in Sunday’s final against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.