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Sunday, 5 July 2026
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Namibian press · Person

Elena Rybakina

Also known as: the big-serving Kazakh Rybakina · the Moscow-born Rybakina · the 26-year-old Rybakina

Elena Rybakina — Kazakh tennis player who won the 2026 Australian Open and reached the Indian Wells final, losing to Aryna Sabalenka.

2026-01-212026-07-05

What’s been said

Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.

  1. January 2026
  2. The Namibian

    Rybakina defeated Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 in the semi-finals

    Source

    said the American after going down 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) in the semi-finals.

    Rybakina stands in way of Sabalenka bid for third Melbourne title

Today

  1. Philippines' Eala upsets defending champion Swiatek at Wimbledon

    Alexandra Eala of the Philippines defeated Iga Swiatek 7-6 (11/9), 6-2 in the third round of Wimbledon, ending the defending champion's title defence and marking Eala's first Grand Slam last-16 appearance. Serena Williams withdrew from the doubles tournament, while second seed Elena Rybakina also crashed out.

    2 hours ago · The Namibian

Wednesday 3 June

  1. Sabalenka loses French Open quarter-final to Shnaider

    World number one Aryna Sabalenka crashed out of the French Open quarter-finals to 25th seed Diana Shnaider, losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 after collapsing mentally in the second set. Shnaider advances to face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska in the semi-finals, while Flavio Cobolli won to set up an all-Italian men's semi-final.

    3 June 2026 · The Namibian

Tuesday 19 May

  1. Sabalenka seeks first Roland Garros title after recent form dip

    World number one Aryna Sabalenka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, arrives in Paris for Roland Garros aiming to win the tournament after finishing as runner-up last year to Coco Gauff. Her dominance has shown signs of weakness following recent losses, including a quarter-final exit at Madrid to 30th seed Hailey Baptiste during the European clay swing.

    19 May 2026 · The Namibian

Monday 30 March

  1. Sabalenka wins Miami Open, completes Indian Wells double

    World number one Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to successfully defend her Miami Open title and complete the Sunshine Double, becoming the first player since Iga Swiatek four years ago to win the WTA 1000 titles in Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back.

    30 March 2026 · New Era

Sunday 29 March

  1. Sabalenka wins second straight Miami Open title

    Aryna Sabalenka defeated Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to win her second consecutive Miami Open title, completing the Indian Wells-Miami "Sunshine Double" sweep. The world number one from Belarus became the first woman since Iga Swiatek in 2022 to win both elite early season hardcourt WTA 1000 titles.

    29 March 2026 · The Namibian

Monday 16 March

  1. Sabalenka defeats Rybakina to win Indian Wells title

    Aryna Sabalenka saved a match point to defeat Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) in the Indian Wells final on Sunday, claiming her first title at the event after previous losses to Rybakina in four consecutive finals. The victory ended a frustrating run against Rybakina, including losses at Indian Wells in 2023 and the Australian Open in January.

    16 March 2026 · The Namibian

Saturday 14 March

  1. Sabalenka and Rybakina set for Indian Wells final rematch

    Aryna Sabalenka defeated Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-4, and Elena Rybakina beat Elina Svitolina 7-5, 6-4, to meet in the Indian Wells title match for a rematch of their Australian Open final.

    14 March 2026 · The Namibian

Sunday 1 February

  1. Rybakina wins Australian Open, defeats Sabalenka in final

    Elena Rybakina defeated world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the Australian Open final to claim her second Grand Slam title. The Kazakh fifth seed held her nerve in a tense match at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne to take revenge after losing the 2023 final to the same opponent.

    1 February 2026 · The Namibian

Saturday 31 January

  1. Sabalenka faces Rybakina in Australian Open women's final

    World number one Aryna Sabalenka clashes with Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open women's final on Saturday. Both players have reached the final without dropping a set and will meet for the first time since their 2023 Australian Open final, which Sabalenka won before successfully defending the title in 2024.

    31 January 2026 · The Namibian

Tuesday 27 January

  1. Sinner advances, Keys ousted as Melbourne heat surges

    Jannik Sinner defeated fellow Italian Luciano Darderi to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals, while defending champion Madison Keys lost to Jessica Pegula as Melbourne faced forecast temperatures of 45C. The tournament implemented health measures including 10-minute breaks during longer matches and plans to use indoor courts as extreme heat continues.

    27 January 2026 · The Namibian

Friday 23 January

  1. Djokovic, Sinner advance at Australian Open; Wawrinka makes history

    Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner advanced to the third round of the Australian Open, with Sinner defending his two-time title and Djokovic pursuing a record 25th Grand Slam. Stan Wawrinka, at 40, became the oldest player in 45 years to reach the men's third round at a Grand Slam before retiring.

    23 January 2026 · The Namibian

Wednesday 21 January

  1. Sinner advances at Australian Open as Osaka makes fashion statement

    Jannik Sinner won his opening match at the Australian Open when opponent Hugo Gaston retired, while Naomi Osaka drew attention with a jellyfish-inspired outfit of white parasol, wide-brimmed hat and veil before defeating Croatia's Antonia Ruzic.

    21 January 2026 · The Namibian

Elena Rybakina — Namibian press coverage · Namibia Minute