Former Australian Open finalist Elena Rybakina said she will need some "magic" from her physio if she wants to go further in the tournament after a back spasm flared up during her third-round win on Saturday.

Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina needed only 53 minutes to storm past junior world No.1 Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-1 in the first round of the Australian Open.

The problem for the 2023 finalist at Melbourne Park follows a season where she was plagued by injury and illness. Rybakina’s build-up to Wimbledon in the summer was hampered by acute bronchitis, which also caused her to withdraw from the Paris Olympics.

Elena Rybakina says she will need some "magic" from her physio in order to continue at the Australian Open after struggling with a back problem in her third-round win.

Elena Rybakina has revealed her back injury is “not so good” after suffering a major scare during her Australian Open third-round win. Sixth seed Rybakina dispatched 32nd seed Dayana Yastremska on Saturday,