Elena Rybakina dominates Wimbledon despite 'weird' controversy
Elena Rybakina has returned from set to won the women’s final at Wimbledonlifted the trophy after a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over World No.2 Ons Jabeur.
23-year-old Moscow-born man, who changed allegiance to Kazakhstan a few years agocontinued the impressive performances that upset former champion Simona Halep in the semifinals.
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Rybakina’s origins in Russia pose an awkward proposition for Wimbledon organizers, who have barred players representing the country from competing in light of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
While talk of her Russian origins was a big topic of conversation ahead of the women’s final, once Rybakina got past her initial nervousness, she showed it didn’t affect her strong game.
He cut to a much quieter figure than many recent grand slam winners after match point, coming to the net to shake hands with Jabeur before his opponent pushed him to enjoy the moment.
Rybakina is also the youngest women’s Wimbledon champion since Petra Kvitova in 2011 after demoralizing Jabeur for an hour, 48 minutes to decide the title.
“I didn’t expect to be in the second week of a grand slam and Wimbledon. To be a winner, it’s just incredible,” said Rybakina after replacing Ash Barty of Australia as the new women’s champion.
“Honestly, I have no words to say how happy I am.”
However, the Moscow-born star’s win was not without controversy as tennis great John McEnroe questioned his participation following the All England Club’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players due to Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Rybakina declared his allegiance to Kazakhstan in June 2018, just after his 19th birthday, but is said to still have a home in Russia.
The world number 23 tried to answer questions about her defection at all tournaments, saying she doesn’t really have a base when she travels the world playing tennis.
“I just think it’s weird because of all this. I don’t mean to get into politics here but he’s Russian, right? It’s kind of weird because this whole ordeal is not letting Russians play,” McEnroe said. from the comfort of his BBC commentary booth.
“I can only say that I represent Kazakhstan. I didn’t choose where I was born,” Rybakina said.
“I played for Kazakhstan for a very, very long time. I represented the biggest tournament, the Olympics, which was a dream come true.
“People believe in me. Kazakhstan is very supportive of me. Even today I hear so much support. I saw the flag. So I don’t know how to answer these questions.”
Elena Rybakina wins Wimbledon, defeats Ons Jabeur
While Russia’s men’s world number one Daniil Medvedev was among those unable to compete, Rybakina advanced through the women’s title with a concession of just two sets.
Rybakina also lost her opening set in her quarter-final against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic.
But the 17th seed instead overwhelmed her heavily beaten opponents – including grand slam champion Bianca Andreescu and 2019 winner Halep – with her lethal serve and fearless back-court power play.
Leaving a trail of destruction in his wake, Rybakina finished the tournament with an unmatched 53 aces and 161 clear winners.
Jabeur has bid to become the first African woman to win Wimbledon and the first Arab to claim a grand slam singles title.
But the 27-year-old ultimately regretted converting only two of 11 break-point opportunities, looking hot and distracted on the hottest day of the championship.
“I really love this tournament and I feel very sad, but this is tennis – there can only be one winner,” said Jabeur.
“I am very happy that I am trying to inspire many generations from my country – I hope they are listening.”
With AAP
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