Mumbai: It’s a bit odd for the women’s world No.2, no less one within touching distance of the top spot, to be put on the Grandstand—the third biggest stadium at the US Open—for her opening match. With Filipino Alex Eala drawing the night match on Louis Armstrong Stadium and American Coco Gauff reserved for Arthur Ashe Stadium, Elena Rybakina had to wait nearly three hours after a rain delay to get on court.
Playing her first tour-level main draw match, Frodin was an unknown opponent for Rybakina. This time last week, the 27-year-old Russian-born Kazakh wasn’t even sure if she could play the season-ending Grand Slam after her injury in Cincinnati. Not that she needed to turn up to become the world No.1 (if top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff or Jessica Pegula don’t win the tournament, that crown is hers anyway).
The world may know her from the 2021 movie “King Richard,” in which Frodin played the body double for Demi Singleton, the actress who portrayed a young Serena Williams.
That’s a big positive for the Australian Open champion after the injury in her left ankle, specifically the tendon attached to the bone as she revealed in the post-match press conference. The injury happened in the first set of her Cincinnati quarter-final against Iga Swiatek. For seven days, Rybakina did not train. “But we kept playing, kept adjusting. And I’m happy how the hard-court tournaments went. Except for the injury, of course.”
Rybakina’s own body held up quite well during the 74-minute encounter, which she began with a double fault, ended with an ace and showed unhampered movement in between. “So I’m happy that I’m playing right now… it’s a great result after 10 days from that kind of injury.
“We didn’t know if I’m going to be able to play here or not,” said Rybakina. Rybakina called the physio immediately and tried to continue, but when she could not “push from the leg” on her serve on the next point, she knew it was impossible and retired at 4-1 down. She said she felt “okay” now but acknowledged that things will have to be assessed day by day. “Let’s see how I wake up tomorrow, since it’s the first match with a lot of movement,” she said. It happened for a little bit longer, it wasn’t the result I wanted on clay and grass,” she said.
“Finishing last year very well, playing a lot, and then starting like that in Australia, we were expecting some, let’s say, down (dip) in my game.
