Rick Macci, a renowned American tennis coach who has worked with Venus and Serena Williams, named three qualities that he believes have helped Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina win Grand Slam titles and rise to world No. 1.
According to Macci, Rybakina’s first major strength is her groundstrokes. Her relatively simple grips allow her to generate power without unnecessary movement.
«Rybakina checks 3 major boxes on the WTA TOUR that is enough to win Slams and get to number one. 1. Elite clean ball striker with the two big ticket items the forehand/ backhand and with and the grips not complicated to unleash easy power,» Macci wrote on X.
The second strength, he said, is Rybakina’s serve, which he praised for its technically sound mechanics.
«Serve is biomechanically picture perfect from the ground up and racquet entry always near the right scapula creating a simple repetitive optimal throwing action,» the coach wrote.
Macci considers the Kazakh tennis player’s mentality her third major strength. He highlighted her composure and ability to maintain the necessary intensity during matches.
«Mindset is cool calm collected but intense. She is in the ideal performance state most of the time and now has a best selling secret sauce recipe that tastes even better being number one,» Macci added.
This combination of qualities has been a winning formula for Rybakina, while reaching world No. 1 has further strengthened her confidence, Macci said.
Rybakina checks 3 major boxes on the WTA TOUR that is enough to win Slams and get to number one. 1. Elite clean ball striker with the two big ticket items the forehand/ backhand and with and the grips not complicated to unleash easy power. 2. Serve is biomechanically picture…
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) September 17, 2026
Who is Rick Macci?
Rick Macci is an American tennis coach and a member of the USPTA Hall of Fame. Over his coaching career, he has worked with Serena and Venus Williams, Andy Roddick, Jennifer Capriati and Maria Sharapova. All five of them went on to reach world No. 1. Macci is also a seven-time USPTA Coach of the Year.
In the 2026 U.S. Open final, Rybakina defeated Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. The victory gave the 27-year-old her first U.S. Open title and third Grand Slam singles title, following her victories at Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open in 2026.
