Elena Rybakina “Proud of Fight” Despite Victoria Mboko Loss in Doha

Australian Open champion takes positives from first tournament since Melbourne triumph

DOHA, Qatar — Elena Rybakina is refusing to dwell on defeat after a heartbreaking quarterfinal exit at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open on Thursday.

Playing her first tournament since capturing her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, the world No. 3 was within reach of the semifinals in Doha before Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko mounted a stunning comeback to win 7-4, 4-6, 6-4.

The loss denied Rybakina an immediate rise to No. 2 in the WTA rankings—a spot that opened up following top seed Iga Swiatek’s quarterfinal exit earlier in the evening. It also leveled the head-to-head between Rybakina and the 19-year-old Mboko at two wins apiece, confirming the rising star as a genuine threat at the top level.

Still, the 26-year-old found plenty of reasons for optimism. Her week in Doha included a grueling three-set battle against Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the previous round—exactly the kind of physical test she had been seeking.

Q. Did you feel you had recovered from yesterday’s match? Because you had a tough one against Qinwen [Zheng].

ELENA RYBAKINA: “It was a tough match and I’m actually happy that I managed to give this fight. I hadn’t played such long matches in a long time. In Australia, we always had a day in between and I was playing all the matches in two sets except for the final. I think it was still a good tournament for me. I had to do some stuff outside of the court. I think it’s a good preparation, even for the other tournaments.”

When asked about her ambitions for the remainder of the season, Rybakina made her intentions unmistakably clear.

Q. If you could win another Grand Slam this year, would you rather win Wimbledon again or one of the other two?

ELENA RYBAKINA: “All of them! (laughs) There is nothing to choose. It doesn’t matter which Grand Slam. But that’s the goal.”

Mboko, now into her second career WTA 1000 semifinal, will next face two-time Doha finalist Jelena Ostapenko. For Rybakina, the focus shifts to recovery and the long season ahead—with Melbourne already in the rearview mirror and three more majors still to play.