When Elena Rybakina lifted the Wimbledon women's singles trophy last July, her two closest supporters were absent from the stands at the All England Club's famous Centre Court.
Rybakina's parents, Andrey and Ekaterina, were unable to travel to England from Moscow — where they reside — to watch their daughter's breakthrough major win.
In the media conference that followed her victory, Rybakina was overcome with emotion when asked how her parents would feel about what she had just achieved.
"Super proud," was Rybakina's tearful response as she reflected on not being able to share the moment with her mother and father.
Six months later it may be a different story for the Moscow-born Kazakh.
Rybakina will contest the Australian Open women's final on Saturday night where she will play fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka.
Her parents and sister Anna will be in the crowd inside Rod Laver Arena, as they were for her 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 win over two-time champion Victoria Azarenka in Thursday night's semifinal.
"It's great for them (her parents) … I'm sure they're happy," the 23-year-old told reporters after her defeat of Azarenka.
"They don't see me often playing live, so I think this time it's a big result already.
"No matter how I play in the final, I think they're very proud and happy."
While excited her parents are in Melbourne, Rybakina admits nerves can get the better of them when they watch her play.
"I think every match I play they're nervous, no matter if it's live or they're watching on TV," she said with a smile.
"I think you can never get used to this."
Rybakina — who switched her allegiance from Russia to Kazakhstan in 2018 — has spoken previously about the sacrifices her parents made so she could chase her dream of becoming a professional tennis player.
She said they showed confidence in her from a young age as she progressed through the junior ranks.
"I know that from the beginning, they believed in me no matter if I would lose first round or anything as a junior," Rybakina said.
"Because they saw also potential and how I loved the game."
Rankings leap for Rybakina
Having her family watching her play in the final of a major will not be the only fresh experience for Rybakina on Saturday night.
Last year's Wimbledon tournament was stripped of ranking points by the WTA and ATP in response to the All England Club's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players.
The players from both countries were prevented from playing Wimbledon due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The removal of ranking points cost Rybakina the chance to force her way into the top 10 and she arrived in Melbourne ranked 25 on the WTA standings.
She is projected to rise as high as number eight should she claim her second major singles title.
Earlier at the Australian Open, Rybakina said earning ranking points was always an incentive, but she was focused more on winning matches.
“For sure it's a motivation, but every tournament I come [to] I want to win, no matter points [or] no points,” Rybakina said.
“I love to compete, no matter where I play. So for now I would say that I don't really look at these things."
Rybakina has lost all three of her head-to-head meetings with Sabalenka, although they have not played each other since 2021.
Belarusian Sabalenka made her first major final with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-2 win over unseeded Pole Magda Linette in Thursday's second semifinal.
