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Fans reacted with excitement, humor, and relief to Elena Rybakina's recent appearance on the court in Dubai. The Kazakh star has faced multiple setbacks this season, leading to rare appearances in competition, especially in the latter half. Despite these challenges, she has qualified for the WTA Finals.
Rybakina has skipped or withdrawn from several events in the past few months. Her season has been marred with injuries, illnesses, and personal problems. After splitting with her longtime coach Stefano Vukov, she participated in the US Open but withdrew from the Slam after winning her first-round match.
Since then, Rybakina has not played on the WTA tour. However, her impressive performances from earlier in the season where she won three titles, helped her qualify for the WTA Finals. As of now, the Kazakh will participate in the year-end championships in Riyadh and she is seemingly preparing for the same in Dubai.
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An X account posted a recent picture of her on the court in Dubai with young fans. After being on hiatus, her fans were ecstatic to see her again and had amusing reactions.
"NATURE WAS HEALED," one fan wrote.
"This is the equivalent of her winning a slam atp THANK YOU JESUS," another fan wrote.
"It's been 84 years...." a third fan joked.
Here are some more fan reactions to Elena Rybakina's appearance in Dubai.
"JESUS WAS SEEN," one fan joked.
"LENA ON A TENNIS COURT... i prayed for times like this," another fan wrote.
One fan joked about Rybakina fans' reaction to the image. They posted a hilarious gif:
Six players including Elena Rybakina have secured qualification for the WTA Finals in Riyadh
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek and World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka had secured qualification for the WTA Finals earlier in the season. Four other players qualified, i.e. Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini, and Jessica Pegula.
Two spots remain open for the WTA Finals, but Barbora Krejcikova is expected to secure one. As the Wimbledon champion, she will likely qualify under the rule that reserves a spot for a Grand Slam winner finishing between No. 8 and No. 20 in the Race to Riyadh rankings.
Currently, in the seventh and final automatic qualification spot, Zheng Qinwen holds 4,100 points. Following a strong hardcourt season, she has overtaken Emma Navarro (3,568 points) and is in a prime position to qualify.
The WTA Finals will take place in Riyadh during the first week of November, with Swiatek as the defending champion. A total of 1,500 points are up for grabs for the winner.
