The fourth-ranked player in the world, Elena Rybakina, received a shooting incident report a few minutes before her third-round match at the French Open, commonly known as Roland Garros. The exact reasons for the decision remain undisclosed, and authorities have not yet provided a detailed explanation about what happened or how it affected the stay on court. This event adds an unexpected turn to the day’s proceedings at one of tennis’ most prestigious clay-court events.
On June 3, the 23-year-old Kazakhstani star was scheduled to face Spain’s Sara Sorribes-Tormo, who sits at 132 in the global rankings, in the third round of Roland Garros. The match would determine which player advances deeper into the tournament as the field narrows. In the wake of the incident, the Spanish competitor advanced to the round of 16 automatically, earning a place in the 1/8 finals where she is set to meet either Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia or Beatriz Haddad-Maya of Brazil, depending on the outcome of their pending clash. This progression illustrates how unpredictable moments can shift the course of a grand slam, even when a draw initially appeared straightforward.
A native of Moscow, Rybakina later acquired Kazakh citizenship in 2018, a move that accompanied her rise in the sport. She captured the Wimbledon title last year, marking a historic achievement as the first player from Kazakhstan to win a singles Grand Slam. Her triumph on the lawns of the All England Club underscored her consistency and rising presence on the global tour, contributing to her high ranking and the expectations that follow her every match at major events like Roland Garros.
Earlier in the event, a moment of tension unfolded when a Ukrainian player, Elina Svitolina, was met with boos from spectators after a decision she made during a third-round match at the same tournament. Svitolina decided not to shake hands with Russian opponent Anna Blinkova, a gesture that sparked a broad reaction from the crowd. Svitolina ultimately won the match with the set scores of 6:2, 2:6, 5:7, a result that reflected the emotional complexity surrounding the sport amid geopolitical tensions and the passions of tennis fans. The match, and the reactions surrounding it, highlighted how off-court dynamics can influence the atmosphere inside a grand slam arena—an ever-present factor in modern tennis where national loyalties and personal narratives intersect on court steps and television screens alike.