ROME – Elena Rybakina took home the WTA Rome Open women’s tennis tournament title on Sunday after Anhelina Kalinina withdrew from the championship due to a left thigh injury. Rybakina won her fifth career singles title on clay, marking her Top 5 debut in the Hologic WTA Tour singles rankings and projected to rise to World No. 4. This victory was her second championship win this year, adding the Rome trophy to her Indian Wells title.
Rybakina’s opponent in the final, Anhelina Kalinina, was the lowest-ranked player to reach the final in Rome since 1985, and even though she lost the final due to her injury, she expressed pride in her fighting spirit. Kalinina had a strong run throughout the tournament with notable victories over big names, including Madison Keys and Veronika Kudermetova.
The match lasted only for 65 minutes, and Rybakina was leading with a score of 6-4, 1-0 when Kalinina’s injury brought an end to the final. Before the tournament, Kalinina and Rybakina had met only once, with Kalinina coming out on top. However, Rybakina managed to turn the tables in her favor this time around.
With this win, Rybakina became the first player to capture two WTA 1000 titles this year, making her an emerging young star in women’s tennis. Some experts are calling Rybakina one of the sport’s “Big Three,” along with Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. Rybakina is a versatile player who excels on all surfaces, but admits that she needs more preparation and practice to achieve her best on clay.
This victory is another milestone in Rybakina’s impressive career, and it puts her in an elite class of players in the Open Era. She reached a third WTA 1000 final this year in Miami, making her the only other player, alongside Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova, to reach finals at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami, and Rome in the same season.
Overall, Elena Rybakina’s win at the WTA Rome Open was well deserved, and it highlights her growing status in the tennis world. As she continues to make waves in the tennis world, there is no doubt that she will continue to be a major force to be reckoned with for years to come.
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