Elena Rybakina inadvertently reveals her MLB ignorance by assuming the Yankees are an NBA team
· Yahoo Sports
2026 US Open quarterfinalist Elena Rybakina made a sports faux pas in New York after assuming that the Yankees cap she was wearing belonged to an NBA team.
Rybakina put on a show in the fourth round of the Open by eliminating former WTA World No. 1 Naomi Osaka with a 6-1, 6-4 win.
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However, Rybakina went viral on social media due to her choice of cap for her post-game press conference, while clueless about what it represented.
Elena Rybakina thought her Yankees cap was for an NBA team
Rybakina wore a Yankees cap to her post-game press conference, with a reporter’s question leading to an admission from the 27-year-old star that she just likes the cap and doesn’t follow basketball.
“I can’t say I’m following a lot basketball. But I definitely watch sometimes. For me, it’s just a hat which I like. Nothing very special about it.”
The Yankees cap is among the most popular caps in the entire world, with its popularity clearly transcending baseball as a sport.
People who have never watched a game wear it simply because it looks cool, as evidenced by Rybakina’s admission.
Rybakina likely assumed it was New York’s NBA team she was representing while being completely unaware of what the logo of the reigning NBA Champions is.
Elena Rybakina’s thoughts about playing in New York
With Rybakina making a deep run in the 2026 US Open, she admitted she has struggled playing in the city in the past and is improving now, while also sharing her admiration for the city as a whole.
Photo by Ben Solomon/USTA via Getty Images“Well, now it’s getting better and better. Before the US Open, I usually don’t perform that well. Now I feel like this year it’s the best for now out of all the years I’ve played here.”
“I like New York, and it’s an amazing city. For me, maybe just for 2 or 3 weeks, because after that it might be too much. But I really love the crowd here. I enjoy playing in stadiums like this.”
She might not know the difference between New York’s local sports teams but she is ready to embrace the tennis lovers who are coming to cheer her on.
Now, Rybakina will refocus her attention on the court, as she will take on China’s Zheng Qinwen in the quarterfinals.
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