Too tall for figure skating, Elena Rybakina ponders Winter Olympic switch

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.