Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan became the first player from her country to win a major title at Wimbledon.
“I honestly didn’t think I was going to be in the second week of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon and then to be the winner it’s just amazing,” she said. “I want to congratulate Elena, she played amazing,” Jabeur said. She saved four break points and held to even the match at one set all. “I was super nervous before the match, during the match and I’m honestly happy that it finished to be honest because really I never felt something like this,” said Rybakina, the youngest woman to win Wimbledon since 2011. I think you’re inspirational not only for the young children but for everybody. Her victory comes after Wimbledon banned Russian and Belarusian players from the tournament after the invasion of Ukraine.
Elena Rybakina came from a set down to win her Wimbledon final against Ons Jabeur and claim her first grand slam title.
Ever since people would laugh at the nine-year-old who would speak loudly of her intention to win grand slams, everything she has achieved has been the result of a gradual evolution. There may be no ranking points on offer this year, Rybakina will fall to 23rd place even though under normal circumstances she would have risen to a new ranking of around sixth, but this is a priceless victory and she has made the step up. After Rybakina took the second set, the crowd continually tried to animate Jabeur and as she trailed 2-3, she responded, generating three break points at 0-40 with a wondrous lob. Rybakina swiftly began to play on her terms, bullying Jabeur from on top of the baseline, and the Tunisian became far too tight herself. As cries of “yalla” and “allez” rang out for Jabeur, the first Arab player and African woman to reach a grand slam singles final in the Open era, Jabeur was determined to disrupt Rybakina with her complex, varied game. Instead, the pandemic struck and upon the resumption of the tour Rybakina struggled to find her way.
Elena Rybakina proved much too good for her Wimbledon competition, but it put organisers in an awkward position. Read more here.
You can select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Click here to find out more about our partners. - Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address
Elena Rybakina was reduced to tears in her post-match press conference and it had nothing to do with what she'd just achieved.
Elena Rybakina was asked how her parents would react to her being crowned Wimbledon champion #Wimbledon Molly McElwee, reporter for Telegraph Sport, asked the Wimbledon champion how her parents would react to her historic win. Elena Rybakina broke down in her press conference following a historic Wimbledon victory, all thanks to one reporter’s simple question.
The celebration was subdued, hardly a spike in emotions. But the day Elena Rybakina and Ons Jabeur met on Centre Court will be remembered as a day of tennis ...
Her win over Jabeur was just her third against a top 20-ranked player on grass -- the second was against Simona Halep in the semifinals. But in those second and third sets -- form and logic went out the window, and Rybakina was at her best, just like she was when she dispatched Halep in the semifinals. Jabeur was the first Arab woman to reach a Slam final, and the first from Africa since pro players were admitted to the major tournaments in 1968. But Rybakina found her rhythm and range, and Jabeur had no answers, the roles reversed. I just want to wish Eid Mubarak to Muslims all around the world." "It was such a tough match mentally and physically, so in the end I was just super happy that it finished. As the presentation was being arranged, she stayed in her seat. Jabeur was the overwhelming crowd favorite. For the past two weeks she has picked her way through the draw, but the questions she faced were as much about her tournament run as they were heritage. But it was near the end of the news conference when they pushed through, after she was asked what that victory would mean for her parents. "You wanted to see emotion," she said, tears on her cheeks. As Ons Jabeur pushed the forehand wide, sealing Rybakina's first Grand Slam, she clenched her left fist in celebration in the direction of her box.
Elena Rybakina wins her maiden grand slam title, scoring an upset win over third seed Ons Jabeur in the Wimbledon final.
I think Rybakina was angry at herself for not hitting it as well as she wanted and just assumed it went long. Advantage Jabeur, but she can't land her first serve and Rybakina drills a crosscourt backhand winner off the return. A net cord drew Rybakina in, had her lobbing, and Jabeur tried the fancy play but couldn't convert. A net cord brings Jabeur right up on top of the net, and she plays a lazy drop shot, allowing Rybakina an easy lob, and Jabeur can't get it back. And Jabeur burns a challenge in the process. Rybakina is fearless, going for everything on her groundstrokes, and it pays off, saving another break point. But Rybakina gets a look at a break point and a second serve. Confidence is nothing in the face of a drop shot of that calibre, out of nowhere in a baseline rally. Rybakina is looking better at the net now. Wasted a challenge on the first too. I just want to wish a happy Eid to all the Muslims around the world." But Rybakina refused to let her back in the match, going for broke on her serve and groundstrokes to win the next five points.
The 23-year-old is bringing her adopted country its first singles trophy at a major tournament.
You may click on “Your Choices” below to learn about and use cookie management tools to limit use of cookies when you visit NPR’s sites. If you click “Agree and Continue” below, you acknowledge that your cookie choices in those tools will be respected and that you otherwise agree to the use of cookies on NPR’s sites. NPR’s sites use cookies, similar tracking and storage technologies, and information about the device you use to access our sites (together, “cookies”) to enhance your viewing, listening and user experience, personalize content, personalize messages from NPR’s sponsors, provide social media features, and analyze NPR’s traffic.
Rybakina's victory at Wimbledon was deeply impressive but not the outcome that most in Centre Court or on the payrolls of the All England Club were yearning ...
The history, all those ghosts on the grass, can hit a player hard as they try to join the club. “It was good for my career,” said Shvedova of the switch. How do you convincingly paint Rybakina’s success as a bright and shiny tale of Russian triumph when it was Russia’s lack of support for her career that ultimately caused her to switch allegiances? She was already wearing her purple badge as a new member of the All England Club on Saturday night. “The Russians absolutely were questioning why, why, why. (Britain has had plenty of imports, including the former Canadian star Greg Rusedski and the former Australian Johanna Konta.) I saw the flags, so I don’t know how to answer these questions.” Thank God the Kazakhstan federation has been supporting her.” She is a Russian who was born, raised and, until this year, based in Moscow, where her parents and many of her closest friends still reside. Wimbledon, after all, has barred players who represent Russia, not players who used to represent Russia. And though Shamil Tarpischev, the longtime president of the Russian Tennis Federation, claimed “we have won Wimbledon” to a Russian state media outlet on Saturday night, that certainly rings hollow. The move came after pressure from the British government led by outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has had a much worse weekend than Jabeur has had. But Rybakina’s arrival comes at an awkward moment for those with Russian connections.
The women's singles champion is delighted at collecting her first major but less pleased with the attendant limelight.
“The goal for this year was to be top 10 and it’s still the same goal,” she said. “She came to me and she said, I want to be No 1 in the world,” he recalled. “I saw from her that she really wanted to move fast. “Everybody is trying to help me because it’s the first time and there is so much attention,” she said. “I was 100% sure she could win one,” he said. “Well for now I can say that I’m not enjoying [the attention] that much,” she said, a few hours after her triumph.
The 23-year-old will be part of the Kazakhstan team in the Billie Jean King Cup finals being played in Glasgow, and they find themselves in the same group ...
He predicts more Grand Slam titles for the country's new star: 'With a high percentage of first serves she is going to be very good. 'I don't really like to be in front of everybody. 'Elena declared for Kazakhstan more than four years ago. Rybakina met Raducanu in the US Open champion's first match of the season back in January - Rybakina met Raducanu in the US Open champion's first match of the season Rybakina met Raducanu in the US Open champion's first match of the season back in January, in Sydney. She gave a warning of what might come at SW19 by thrashing the albeit rusty Raducanu for the loss of just one game.
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakena made a tough admission about her historic title triumph. Find out what she said here.
You can select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Click here to find out more about our partners. - Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address