Jelena Rybakina meets Slovak President following US Open win

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini hosted tennis star Jelena Rybakina at the Presidential Palace to congratulate her on her recent US Open victory and her ascent to the top of the WTA rankings. Although Rybakina represents Kazakhstan internationally, she has maintained strong ties to Slovakia for several years, frequently using Bratislava as a training base for Grand Slam tournaments.

Rybakina, who was born in Russia, began representing Kazakhstan in 2018. She noted that the decision to switch sporting nationality was driven by the professional and financial support offered by the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation, which allowed her to pursue her career when resources were limited.