The rumor mill is buzzing, and this time, all eyes are on Elena Rybakina. After her recent split from coach Stefano Vukov, the former Wimbledon champion took some time off to recover from injuries before the China Open. However, the tournament marked her ninth withdrawal of this season. That’s not something Rybakina would have envisioned. However, it looks like she might make her long-awaited comeback soon.
The Instagram post shared by the official account of the World Tennis League hints that Rybakina will feature in the exhibition event. The Kazakh is among several top players who are expected to gather in Abu Dhabi for “The Greatest Show on Court.” Hosted by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT), and Miral, the tournament includes other notable names like Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, and Nick Kyrgios.
The event is scheduled for December 19-22, 2024, and it has got Rybakina’s fans hopeful. If she features in Abu Dhabi, this exhibition would mark Rybakina’s first appearance in a long time, after withdrawing from several tournaments, including the US Open. She withdrew from the US Open shortly before her second-round match against Jessika Ponchet due to injuries. Elena had previously won her opening match against Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava. She announced her withdrawal, stating, “I did not want to finish the last Grand Slam of the year this way, but I have to listen to my body.”
