DOHA, Qatar—The ongoing Winter Olympic Games has provided plenty of fodder for athletes competing at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, many of whom have fancied their chances of making a switch to the realm of winter sports.
The often-introverted Elena Rybakina played along in kind after reaching the quarterfinals in Doha, defeating reigning Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in three close sets under the lights:
Q. The Winter Olympics are going on, so if you could partake in a winter sport, which would you choose and why?
ELENA RYBAKINA: Maybe skiing because I never actually did it. I know how to ski on the flat, but not the other way. So, that would be interesting to try. I did ice skating when I was young, but I’m too tall for this sport, for sure!
Standing well over six feet, Rybakina might indeed be better slopes than to a triple salchow, but the Kazakh may prefer to continue channeling the talent that already earned her two Grand Slam titles.
Up next for the No. 2 seed is Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko. The two faced off three times in 2025, Rybakina winning two of the three while Mboko’s win helped earn her a WTA 1000 victory at the Omnium Banque Nationale in Montréal.