No. 1 hopeful Rybakina has no time for number crunching

With a left leg injury situation to contend with, Elena Rybakina has no time to play the numbers game no matter how close she might be from grabbing the WTA top ranking from Aryna Sabalenka at the US Open.

The world No. 2 Kazakh who had to quit in the first set of her Cincinnati quarter-final loss to Iga Swiatek last week, is concentrating on finding fitness as she heads into the first round against a local wild card.

She can take over the top spot with a semi-final placing or if rivals Sabalenka and Americans Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff are both defeated early.

Rybakina has no time to dwell on the possible scenarios.

“From media I know where I should get, how the others should play. It’s all the different scenarios.

“But for me, especially now when I had this injury last week, the most important (thing is) just try to stay healthy, play a match at a time.

“This is not the last tournament of the year. Of course it’s a Grand Slam, and you want to do well. But you have plenty of opportunities after if you’re
healthy and you keep on playing.

“I’m trying not to think about it at all, and just play match at a time.”

Still, her leg problem remains a main concern.

Since in the moment it happened, it was very painful. As I said, I couldn’t even walk for the next few days without pain,” she said of the August 20 injury.

“No one knows how it is gonna be, we’ve been just waiting day by day. Being in this situation, it’s really an amazing improvement and unexpected.

“We will see what’s gonna happen in the next few days, but for now it’s been well. I always want to go on court when I’m 100 percent sure.

“It’s the last Slam of the year, so I think everyone will want to try, yeah, try to compete.”