Elena Rybakina explains why she sat out recent Billie Jean King Cup

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After playing at Indian Wells and the Miami Open, Elena Rybakina stepped away from the game for a while, choosing to take a longer break than usual.

With Stuttgart next on her schedule, she ended up with 20 days off between tournaments.

As a result, she was not available for Kazakhstan’s Billie Jean King Cup tie against Canada, which took place in Astana.

She also pulled out of Stuttgart’s One Point Challenge and has since spoken about why she needed some time away from tennis.

Elena Rybakina comments on Billie Jean King Cup absence

Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images

Rybakina got her Stuttgart Open underway with a routine win over Diana Schnaider, marking her return to action.

When asked about the reason behind her lengthy break, which included missing the Billie Jean King Cup, she explained:

“This time, since I played Indian Wells till the end and also Miami was a long tournament, I needed some time to rest, to prepare my body for this clay court season.

“I was of course tired, and there are some things which in the body start hurting, so you need to really take care.

“I discussed with the team, with the Federation, and we decided at this time I’m not going to go to play, but I’m glad that the girls won. And I’m happy that also younger girls were in the court and they all played really well.”

Kazakhstan won their tie against Canada 3-1 without Rybakina’s help. The victory earned them a spot in November’s Billie Jean King Cup finals in Seville.

Elena Rybakina’s strong start to the year

Rybakina opened her Stuttgart campaign with a solid performance, and is now 22-5 through her first six events of the season.

Rybakina’s run in Australia was followed by deep runs at Indian Wells and Miami, both ending at the hands of Sabalenka again.

Antonia Ruzic remains the only player outside the WTA top 20 to have beaten Rybakina so far this year, a sign of just how consistent she’s been.

With clay court season now underway, she’ll be looking to keep that momentum going in Stuttgart and beyond.

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