Stuttgart Open: Elena Rybakina Regrets Past Decision as Luxurious Porsche Prize Might Go Unutilized

After a stunning victory at the Stuttgart Open semifinals, Elena Rybakina shared an amusing revelation about her lack of a driving license! During a lighthearted moment after she secured a 6-3,4-6,6-3 victory against Iga Swiatek, Rybakina revealed why winning the title might be a “motivation” for one of her personal goals.

The Stuttgart Open has a unique tradition of awarding the winner a Porsche car. However, Elena Rybakina, who is one match away from winning the title this year, is not sure how she would utilize the prize. During an on-court interview after her semifinal victory, she was asked, “You can hit the ball very fast; is this the way you drive as well?” Rybakina quickly responded, “Well guys, I actually don’t have a driver’s license.” The humorous exchange was followed by a laugh from the audience.

However, a confident Rybakina admitted that it might be the right occasion for her to get her license now. “So, it’s going to be the goal, of course. I mean, I want it already for a long time, so that’s a good motivation,” she further continued.

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Elena Rybakina after beating Iga Swiatek in Stuttgart

“You’re 1 win away from driving off with a Porsche..”

Elena: “Well guys I actually don’t have a drivers license.” 😂 pic.twitter.com/jq4N4O4Dio

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) April 20, 2024

Elena Rybakina also mentioned that the reason for this is her constant traveling owing to her tournaments. Therefore, she never got the chance to stay in one place long enough to learn and pass the test. But, excited about learning how to drive, Rybakina further disclosed that she had already completed a few driving lessons. And if she manages to win the tournament and learn how to drive a car too, it will mark an additional achievement for her.

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While she might not know how to drive yet, her on-court achievements have reached a new peak in her professional career. She will be making her fifth final appearance of the year in four months. Previously, only Victoria Azarenka did that back in 2012. However, the journey of Rybakina up until now has not been smooth either. In her post-match interview, she revealed how her “serves” helped her throughout the match against her opponent.

“It was like always a very tough match,” said Rybakina after her semifinal matchElena Rybakina, who battled against the World No. 1 earlier this year in the Qatar Open quarterfinals, did not manage to defeat her. She has now defeated Swiatek for the first time in her career. However, after the game, she confessed that her match with the defending champion was not easy. “It was, like always, a very tough match. My serve helped me a lot in the important moments. I was fighting for every ball. It was such a close match,” she said in a post-match interview.

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But after extending her head-to-head lead with Swiatek to 4-2, she declared that she was happy with how the match turned out. “I’m really happy I managed to win. And I showed a good game,” said Rybakina.

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Elena Rybakina will now either face Marta Kostyuk or Marketa Vondrousova for her final match of the Stuttgart Open. She may or may not drive off in a Porsche, but her accomplishments make her one of the most captivating personalities in tennis right now.