Elena Rybakina & Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat the heat in Dubai as they gear up for upcoming season

Elena Rybakina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova hit the practice courts together in Dubai yesterday as preparations for the new season are in full swing.

Rybakina and Pavlyuchenkova have shared a close bond for quite some time now. The pair have played doubles on the circuit together in the past. They joined forces at the 2021 French Open and reached the quarterfinals. The Kazakh-Russian duo also participated in the Wimbledon Championships that year, where they stumbled to Elena Vesnina and Veronika Kudermetova in the first round.

Pavlyuchenkova recently took to Instagram to post a picture with Rybakina and the rest of their respective teams in Dubai. Apart from the two female pros, the other recognizable faces in the picture included Rybakina's coach, Stefano Vukov, and Pavlyuchenkova's coach, Alexander Pavlioutchenkov. Others from the Rybakina and Pavlyuchenkova contingents were also in the frame.

Elena Rybakina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and team - @nastia_pav, Instagram

Rybakina and Pavlyuchenkova teamed up at the Adelaide International 2 earlier this year, reaching the final of the tournament. They lost to Luisa Stefani and Taylor Townsend in the title showdown.

Despite holding a Kazakh nationality, Rybakina was born in Russia to Russian parents. Pavlyuchenkova also hails from Russia.

Elena Rybakina gears up for WTL with 2024 season right around the corner

Elena Rybakina

Elena Rybakina has set her base in Dubai as she gears up for the 2024 season. She is due to kick off her campaign at the non-ATP/WTA-affiliated exhibition World Tennis League which begins on the 21st of December in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. She has been drawn to play for the Falcons alongside Taylor Fritz, Sumit Nagal and Leylah Fernandez.

Rybakina is officially slated to begin her WTA campaign at the Brisbane International. 2024 will be the first appearance for the Kazakh at the tournament. She will be joined by Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka, among others, in Brisbane.

The 24-year-old is also set to participate in the Adelaide Open a week before the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year.

Currently ranked World No. 4, Rybakina will look to move past her previous highest ranking of No. 3 in the upcoming season. Desperate to top her achievements from 2023, she will have a crucial opening leg in the season where she will have to defend points at Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami, where she reached the finals and the semifinals respectively.