Rybakina will need ‘magic’ after battling injury in victory

Australian Open 2025

Dates: 12-26 January Meeting place: Melbourne Park

Coverage: Live radio commentary on Tennis Breakfast from 07:00 GMT on BBC 5 Sports Extra plus live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app

Elena Rybakina says she will need some “magic” if she is to go deep in the Australian Open after struggling with a back problem in her third-round victory.

Sixth seed Rybakina, runner-up at Melbourne Park two years ago, beat Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska 6-3 6-4 but needed a medical time-out after just three games.

The 25-year-old Kazakh was clearly struggling to move and needed seven match points to seal victory.

Asked afterwards if her back was OK, Rybakina replied: “Not really. I’m going to see my physio and hopefully he’ll do some magic.

“It’s not so good because it’s (my) lower back. Hopefully we can do everything possible.

“But for now, it’s not looking too good, to be honest.”

Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina had a string of injury problems in 2024, struggling at various times with fatigue, illness and back problems.

Against Yastremska, Rybakina tried to shorten the rallies and hit winners in an attempt to speed up the match – helped in part by 37 unforced errors from her opponent.

“I needed to stay there and try to hold my serve,” Rybakina said.

“I knew it would be very difficult for me to stay long in the rally, so I tried to risk a little more sometimes.”

Rybakina will face either Danielle Collins or Madison Keys, who play later on Saturday, in the fourth round on Monday.

‘I love tennis so much I have to play three sets’

American eighth seed Emma Navarro joked that she “can’t resist” going the distance in her matches after winning her third straight meeting in three sets at Melbourne Park.

The 23-year-old beat former Wimbledon and US Open finalist Ons Jabeur 6-4 3-6 6-4 to reach the fourth round.

Since the start of 2024, Navarro has played 32 matches going the full three sets and winning 23 of them.

“I love three sets. I love tennis so much that I can’t resist, I have to play three sets,” Navarro said.

Navarro, the daughter of billionaire businessman Ben Navarro, founder of Sherman Financial Group, credited her father for her perseverance, saying he would take her and her siblings on six-hour bike rides as youngsters.

“We came up with a term: ride your bike and cry,” Navarro said.

“I learned a lot of toughness growing up. A big thank you goes to him.”

Navarro will next play Russian ninth seed Daria Kasatkina, who beat Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 7-5 6-1.