Despite defeat, Rybakina is positive: "I think I played very well".

Elena Rybakina is making her mark at the start of the clay-court season. Despite her defeat in the Madrid semi-finals (to Aryna Sabalenka 1-6, 7-5, 7-6), the Kazakh player's record so far has been impressive. After an impressive tournament in Stuttgart, where she beat Iga Swiatek (world no. 1) in the semi-finals, Rybakina followed up her performance in Madrid with a fine showing. Having come within two points of victory over Sabalenka, the world number 4 is not losing heart and already has her sights set on Rome (where she is the title holder).

Interviewed in the press conference following her semi-final defeat, Rybakina expressed her satisfaction with her start to the season and hopes to continue playing well in Rome: "It's been a really good start on clay. Despite today's defeat, I think I've played very well. I did everything I needed to do. A few points made the difference. For the moment, I'm very satisfied with my level and my physical sensations on the court. Now it's important to take a few days off and try to acclimatize to the conditions in Rome, as the ball is very different there. I usually suffer from allergies in Rome; last year I was lucky because there was a lot of rain, so we'll see this year." (comments relayed by Punto de Break).