Elena Rybakina releases statement after banking £4m and 'offensive' accusations

Elena Rybakina has expressed her pride in playing for Kazakhstan after being accused of "offending" her Russian fans. The world No. 5 was born in Moscow but switched allegiances in 2018 and has represented Kazakhstan ever since.

Rybakina ended the season on a high as she claimed the WTA Finals title in Riyadh, banking £4m ($5.235m). Following her triumph, Russian tennis star Svetlana Kuznetsova called the 26-year-old out for playing under another flag. But Rybakina is happy to represent Kazakhstan.

The former Wimbledon champion ended the 2025 season on an impressive 11-match winning streak. She claimed the title in Ningbo, reached the Tokyo semi-finals before withdrawing from the tournament, and then won the WTA Finals.

In Riyadh, Rybakina went undefeated across five matches and claimed a historic £4m ($5.235m) winners' cheque - a record amount of prize money on the ATP and WTA Tours, and in women's sports overall. And she's now shared a message to her fans after finishing the year on a high.

"Dear friends, my favourite fans! Thank you to each of you for your amazing support - in the stands, at the screens, in messages and in warm words after the matches. I'm proud to represent Kazakhstan and give you emotions and victories," the world No. 5 wrote on Instagram.

"I'm especially happy when I see that more and more guys are picking up rackets. If my game inspires you to dream, work and believe in yourself - this is my biggest victory.

"I have a short rest and new training ahead of me. Thank you for always being with me - in victories and in difficult days. Your trust is my support. See you on the court! Alga, Kazakhstan!"

Rybakina's message comes just days after former world No. 2 Kuznetsova expressed her disappointment at the Kazakh's decision not to represent Russia.

Kuznetsova extended her "heartfelt congratulations" to the 26-year-old following her WTA Finals victory on her Telegram account.

But she also wrote: "I admit, it's especially bittersweet to realise that such an athlete is competing under a different flag. This fact is deeply offensive to all her Russian fans."

Rybakina's decision to represent Kazakhstan has been a hot topic in recent years, coming to the forefront when she won Wimbledon in 2022. That year, the All England Club banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing due to the war in Ukraine.

The world No. 5 was able to compete because she represents Kazakhstan, and a lot was made of the fact that she was born in Russia when she went on to lift the trophy. But Rybakina made it clear that she was happy to play for Kazakhstan instead.

"I'm playing already for Kazakhstan for a long time. I'm really happy representing Kazakhstan. They believed in me. There is no more question about how I feel. It's just already long time my journey as a Kazakh player. I played Olympics, [Billie Jean King] Cup," she said at the time.