"I'm not used to it but it turned out very nice"- Elena Rybakina recalls 'fun' Dubai beach photoshoot, maintains she prefers being on the tennis court

Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina has said that though she is not used to posing for pictures, her photoshoot on the Dubai beach turned out to be quite nice. The Russian-born tennis star, who represents Kazakhstan, donned a casual hat and sunglass look in classic monochrome in the photos shot during her time at the Dubai Tennis Championships and shared by famous Uzbekistani stylist Timur Uteshbekov.

Uteshbekov also shared photos of Rybakina sporting a white tennis costume on the shores of the Arabian Sea in a separate post. Recently, she stunned fans in a nautical-themed photoshoot for a magazine ahead of her Indian Wells title defense campaign.

When asked about her photoshoot during her on-court interview after beating Taylor Townsend at the Miami Open, Rybakina said,

"I had a little bit of time and I am not used to it but it turned out very nice. So, really happy yeah."

Elena Rybakina, who is ranked No. 4 on the WTA (Women's Tennis Association) Tour now, made her priorities quite clear, stating that while she enjoyed the photoshoot, tennis remained her priority.

"Well I prefer to be on the tennis court for sure but it was something fun to do outside of the court," Rybakina said in the interview.

The photoshoot in Dubai was also a nautical-themed one, showcasing her in various stylish outfits styled by Azhar Yeleussizova, with make-up by Maria Yushkova.

Rybakina's outfits for the photoshoot included a white t-shirt with black piping, paired with a white skirt, sneakers, socks, and black sunglasses. In another image, she sported a black v-neck top with a white skirt.

Yeleussizova also shared behind-the-scenes footage of the photoshoot that provided fans with a glimpse of the creative process that went into capturing Elena Rybakina's gorgeous photos.

Elena Rybakina to face off against Madison Keys in Miami Open 4R

Elena Rybakina at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2024

After beating Taylor Townsend 6-3, 6-7, 6-4, during the third round of the Miami Open, Elena Rybakina will face Madison Keys in the fourth round. The Kazakh had opened her campaign at the tournament by defeating Clara Tauson of Denmark in a tight three-set encounter.

Rybakina, who was the runner-up at the Miami Open in 2023, has a 1-2 record against Keys. But in hard courts, they are tied at 1-1. All their encounters came in 2022 with Rybakina emerging victorious in the first round of the Ostrava Open while Keys managed to beat the Kazakh in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open and the third round of the French Open.

Rybakina has had a rollercoaster start to the 2024 season. While she won titles at Brisbane and Abu Dhabi and was the runner-up at the Qatar Open in Doha, she suffered an early exit at the Australian Open and had to pull out of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells due to illness.