MELBOURNE, Australia, January 14, 2025 – Elena Rybakina needed just 53 minutes to reach the Australian Open second round with a dominant win over Australian teenager Emerson Jones.
Kazakh Rybakina, runner-up in Melbourne in 2023, served 11 aces and hit 26 winners in a 6-1 6-1 win.
Rybakina’s only moment of concern came as she attempted to serve out the first set, when three unforced errors gave Jones three break points.
But the sixth seed responded emphatically with four successive aces, before closing with a forehand winner to move halfway to victory.
Asked if she and coach Goran Ivanisevic, the 2001 Wimbledon champion renowned for his serving, debate who has the best serve, Rybakina joked: “Maybe I need to to challenge him on the practice court, we will see.”
Rybakina, Wimbledon champion in 2022 will meet American 17-year-old wildcard entry Iva Jovic next.
It is the first Grand Slam for Rybakina under new coach Ivanisevic, who previously worked with Novak Djokovic.
Rybakina wanted to bring Stefano Vukov back into her team for Melbourne but the Croat has been provisionally suspended by the WTA while an investigation into his conduct towards the player continues.
Vukov has denied any wrongdoing and Rybakina has said she never made any complaints about him.
Elsewhere, American eighth seed Emma Navarro, winner of the WTA’s Most Improved Player of the Year Award last year, had to come from a set down to beat compatriot Peyton Stearns 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-5) 7-5.
