Rybakina will need ‘magic’ after battling injury in win

Australian Open 2025

Dates: 12-26 January Venue: Melbourne Park

Elena Rybakina, who had a back issue in her third-round victory, says she will need some “magic” if she wants to win the Australian Open.

Sixth seed Rybakina, runner-up at Melbourne Park two years ago, beat Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska 6-3 6-4 but needed a medical timeout after just three games.

The Kazakh, 25, clearly needed seven match points to win.

Asked afterwards if her back was OK, Rybakina replied: “Not really. I’ll see my physiotherapist, who should most likely perform magic.

” Honestly, I didn’t know how it was going to go because it came all of a sudden. “

In addition to suffering from fatigue, illness, and back issues, the former Wimbledon champion struggled with a number of injuries in 2024.

In an effort to elongate the match against Yastremska, Rybakina made 37 unforced errors in an effort to speed up the match.

” I needed to stay there and try to hold my serve, “Rybakina said.

I was trying to risk a little bit more because I was aware that it would be very difficult for me to remain in the rally.

After winning her third consecutive three-set contest at Melbourne Park, eighth-seeded American Emma Navarro joked that she “can’t resist going the distance in her matches.”

The 23-year-old beat former Wimbledon and US Open finalist Ons Jabeur 6-4 3-6 6-4 to reach the fourth round.

Since the start of 2024, Navarro has played 32 matches that have gone the full three sets, winning 23 of them.

” I love three sets. I love tennis so much I can’t resist, I gotta play three sets, “Navarro said.

Ben Navarro, the father of the Sherman Financial Group, is the daughter of billionaire businessman Ben Navarro, who founded the Sherman Financial Group. He credited her father for giving her and her siblings six-hour bike rides as young people.

” We made up a term: biking and crying, “Navarro said.

Growing up, I picked up a lot of toughness. He deserves many thanks.