Elena Rybakina, the reigning champion of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, has spoken out after deciding not to defend her title at the prestigious WTA 500 event this year. Ranked No. 10 in the world, the Kazakh star opted to represent her country in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers in Brisbane, Australia instead.
Rybakina, who clinched the Stuttgart title last year by defeating Iga Swiatek and earning a brand-new Porsche, admitted that the WTA’s packed calendar played a key role in her decision.
“The schedule is very packed,” she told The First Serve. “It’s not easy to even plan for the Billie Jean King Cup. Ideally, if we travel to one part of the world, it makes sense to stay and compete there. Right now, the clay season has already started for some players, but I had to switch back to hard courts for this event. That’s not ideal.”
This year’s Billie Jean King Cup ties have been held all over the world on different surfaces. While some teams, like Great Britain, competed on indoor clay courts in Europe—perfect for transitioning into the clay season—Rybakina and her Kazakh teammates had to battle on hard courts in Australia.
As a result, Rybakina will miss Stuttgart, where she would have begun her title defence next week.
“I can’t play all the tournaments,” she added. “Of course Stuttgart is a great event, but I always enjoy playing team competitions. It’s special to represent your country, and I’m happy with my choice. I look forward to the finals in Shenzhen.”
Meanwhile, other top stars chose to prioritize Stuttgart. World No. 2 Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff both opted out of the BJK Cup to prepare for the German tournament. Swiatek has already been seen training in Stuttgart ahead of her campaign.
The heavy demands of the tour continue to affect other players as well. British No. 2 Emma Raducanu withdrew from both the BJK Cup and the upcoming WTA 250 event in Rouen, citing a need to focus on her fitness and recovery through a training block.
