Elena Rybakina just rocked the tennis world, snatching her second Grand Slam title of the year at the US Open and officially becoming the world number one. This isn’t just a good year; it’s a career-best, tripling her major title count in 2026 alone. What changed? Tennis legend Kim Clijsters has zeroed in on the exact reason Rybakina is suddenly dominating.
The Game Changer Nobody’s Talking About
Clijsters laid it all out on the ‘Love All Podcast,’ and what she noticed first is huge: Rybakina looks *fitter*. She’s moving better, her legs look stronger, and she’s quicker on her feet. Rybakina was always a monster ball striker, someone who hits the ball flat, deep, and consistently hard across the net. It’s like being targeted, Clijsters said, incredibly tough to escape. But this new level of fitness puts her in a position to unleash her best tennis more often, for three sets at a time, through seven matches in a row. Clijsters isn’t saying Rybakina is suddenly defending like Coco Gauff, but her improved physical strength is absolutely allowing her to compete at an elite level, match after match.
The Stats Don’t Lie… Or Do They?
You might think this kind of rise comes with a monster serve upgrade, and Clijsters did mention serve improvements, noting percentages were “good, maybe a little higher than a year ago.” But the numbers tell a slightly different story, and it reinforces Clijsters’ main point about fitness. Looking at Rybakina’s serving stats from 2025 versus 2026, some key areas have actually regressed. She hit fewer Aces (516 down to 411) and her 1st Serve % dipped (57.7% down to 57.3%). Even her Win % on 1st Serve dropped slightly (74.6% down to 74.1%). The biggest change, as Clijsters insists, is her physical strength. Being fitter and faster lets Rybakina make those micro-adjustments to get behind the ball and consistently hit it in her sweet spot. That’s the real difference in her game right now.
This isn’t a new struggle for Rybakina. She’s had a history of fitness issues and illnesses, even retiring from a match in Dubai this year. But for the most part, that’s behind her. Her improved durability and physical strength are the undeniable foundation of her becoming the best player in the world. It’s what’s keeping her in contention for every major title, and the rest of the tour needs to figure out how to match it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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