"I'm a calm person, sometimes it's good, sometimes maybe it's not" - Elena Rybakina on not displaying emotions on the court

Elena Rybakina has stated that not displaying many emotions on the court is just a part of her personality.

At the 2023 Wimbledon Championships on Thursday, Rybakina took on Alize Cornet in the second round on Center Court. The defending champion and third seed emerged victorious 6-2, 7-6(2), beating Cornet in one hour and 48 minutes.

In a press conference after the match, when asked why she doesn't show so many emotions on the court, Rybakina replied that it was all a part of her personality.

"Just because I'm [a] calm person. This is something I'm like this for [a] long time. Not many matches you can see a lot of emotions. I just think that I'm focus a lot on myself. Sometimes it's good, sometimes maybe it's not. You need to always be aware of what's happening around. So yeah, I would say just my personality," she said.

The question of Rybakina's lack of visible emotions has been a regular one for a while now. Last year, when the Kazakh won the Wimbledon title, she had a subdued celebration and defended herself when asked about it later.

"I didn’t know what to do. It was shocking. I don’t know, maybe because I believe that I can do it deep inside. But at the same time it’s, like, too many emotions. I was just trying to keep myself calm," she said.

It was only when she was asked about how her parents would react to her Major win that she began to tear up.

"Probably they’re going to be super proud," she said, with a cracked voice. "You wanted to see emotion. I kept it in too long. Maybe one day you will see huge reaction from me [on the court]"

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Elena Rybakina flies under the radar because of her demeanor: Tracy Austin

Elena Rybakina in action at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

Tracy Austin labeled Elena Rybakina an 'under-the-radar' player as opposed to an underrated player. The former World No. 1 believes that the Kazakh's calm and quiet demeanor plays a big role in her flying under the radar.

Austin further backed Rybakina to be a regular contender for Grand Slam titles going forward.

"It's so tempting for people to ask - Is Elena Rybakina one of the most underrated tennis players? For me, I think it's more under-the-radar because of her demeanor. We know that she kinda has that low pulse, she doesn't show much emotion. When she won Wimbledon, it was kind of a gentle fist pump," she said.

"She's very strong and working hard, she's very hungry. She's won one Major, so why not more? I definitely see that she can be a sustainable contender for Majors in the future," she added.

Rybakina will continue her Wimbledon title defense when she takes on British No.1 Katie Boulter in the third round on Saturday.