Rybakina

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 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.

The 23-year-old is bringing her adopted country its first singles trophy at a major tournament.

Jabeur needed to find a way to cut down on her mistakes and came close to changing the course of things while down 3-2 in the third. Now she was just a game away from the biggest victory of her career — and she got to serve for it. The hold there made it 4-2, and Rybakina quickly broke again. When another forehand went awry, Jabeur broke at love to take the opening set, yelled "Yalla!" — Arabic for "Let's go!" — and threw an uppercut as she walked to the sideline. By the match's third game, Jabeur was reading Rybakina's serves and creating fewer inviting opportunities for baseline power. She was born in Moscow and has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, when that country offered her funding to support her tennis career. Her play early on betrayed some jitters, too, which makes sense considering it was her debut in a Grand Slam title match. I hope they're listening." A volley into the net tape with the full court wide open. "She deserved this. Not much of a look around.

Elena Rybakina has defeated Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the Wimbledon final to become the first tennis player from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam singles ...

“I mean, it’s just something I will never forget.” There was one last crucial moment: Jabeur, who uses as many spins and slices and variety as anyone in the game, parlayed a drop shot and a lob into love-40 on Rybakina’s serve. “I didn’t know what to do. “I didn’t play my best tennis, let’s say, second and third set,” said Jabeur, who leads the women’s tour with 13 victories in three-setters this year. “It’s difficult to describe now how I feel. Rybakina was born in Moscow and has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, when that country offered her funding to support her tennis career. This was the first Wimbledon women’s final since 1962 between a pair of players both making a debut in a Grand Slam title match, and Rybakina acknowledged being nervous at the start. “People believed in me. “I hope they’re not really disappointed, but I’ll try my best next time.” Instead, Rybakina kept a firm double-grip on the black-and-red straps of the racket bag slung over her shoulders. They were not on hand Saturday; she had not spoken to them yet. No jumps in the air.

The 23-year-old is bringing her adopted country its first singles trophy at a major tournament.

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Rybakina, who was born and raised in Russia, started representing Kazakhstan after the Russian tennis federation gave up on her. She beat Ons Jabeur in ...

She did a lot of jogging in the first set, which she won when Rybakina sent a forehand into the middle of the net. Rybakina broke Jabeur’s serve in the first game of the second set, and Jabeur never truly recovered. Forehands that had sailed long at the beginning began diving into the corners and hitting the edges of the lines. She charged the net to close out points, and sealed the set with an ace that Jabeur could only stare at. At any moment, she can cut the ball on an angle and with a spin that makes it knuckle as it clears the net and finds the unguarded area of the court or smack a forehand down the line. On the court, Jabeur and Rybakina also promised one of the sport’s ultimate contrasts in styles. Tall and long and powerful with one of the most dangerous serves in the game, she was born in Russia and lived there until she became an adult. Rybakina struggled with her forehand as Jabeur danced across the grass showing off the array of her arsenal. Organizers made the move at the behest of the British government and the royal family. Rybakina told the Centre Court crowd that it had been an honor to play in front of the royal box. She is Muslim and the match fell on, Eid al-Adha — the feast of the sacrifice. On the final point, Rybakina watched Jabeur, the No. 2 ranked player in the world, send one last backhand return wide and strutted to the net with barely a celebration.

Elena Rybakina had some long-term goals and she had some boxes to check at Wimbledon. She ended up checking a really big box.

Despite the milestone victory -- and collecting a $2.4 million paycheck -- Rybakina won't see her efforts rewarded in the rankings. Born and raised in Russia, she switched federations in 2018 -- Kazakhstan was formerly part of the Soviet Union and sits on the Russian border -- in order to gain additional funding for her career. It was a staggering turnaround, and she never allowed Jabeur a chance to get back into the match and almost completely silenced the crowd in the process. Currently ranked No. 23, Rybakina became the first woman ranked outside of the WTA's top 20 to win at Wimbledon since Venus Williams in 2007. In the final game of the set, she won every point on her serve, and sealed the set with an ace. When she returned to the court for the second set, she looked like a new player -- with an answer for everything Jabeur sent her way.

Elena Rybakina won the women's singles final Wimbledon on Saturday, claiming her first grand slam title and the first for Kazakhstan.

And in a tight final set, it was the Kazakhstani who just got stronger and stronger, eventually claiming her first grand slam title with another emphatic service game. It took just a few games of the final for the first shock. However, despite looking rattled in the opening set, Rybakina began the second frame strongly. I don't have the words to say how happy I am." "But I wouldn't be here without my team of course, so I want to say a big thanks to them. Without my parents I wouldn't be here for sure.

Elena Rybakina, a Russian until switching nationality to Kazakhstan in 2018, won the title at a Wimbledon that banned Russian players from entry.

She even put a picture of the trophy as her phone’s lock screen background. “It is therefore our intention, with deep regret, to decline entries from Russian and Belarusian players to The Championships 2022.” Rybakina didn’t take a similar leap in 2021, though she did beat Serena Williams during a French Open quarterfinal run. Jabeur said after losing in the Wimbledon quarterfinals last year that she would win the title this year. Rybakina eventually found her footing, breaking Jabeur to start the second set, and carried that momentum through. “I was just trying to keep myself calm.

The 23-year-old won the championship at the All England Club with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ons Jabeur — the first singles trophy at a major tournament ...

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Rybakina is a 23-year-old who was born in Moscow and has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, when that country offered her funding to support her tennis ...

Now she was just a game away from the biggest victory of her career — and she got to serve for it. Jabeur appeared to give herself an opportunity to really change the course of things while down 3-2 in the third. She broke once more to begin the third, and went up 3-1. When another forehand went awry, Jabeur broke at love to take the opening set and threw an uppercut as she walked to the sideline. Rybakina is a 23-year-old who was born in Moscow and has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, when that country offered her funding to support her tennis career. There were glimpses of both in the opening game, including a 119 mph service winner on the match’s initial point.

After dropping the first set, Elena Rybakina regained her footing with her big serve and powerful forehand to beat Ons Jabeur and win the Wimbledon women's ...

Now she was just a game away from the biggest victory of her career -- and she got to serve for it. Jabeur appeared to give herself an opportunity to really change the course of things while down 3-2 in the third. She broke once more to begin the third, and went up 3-1. When another forehand went awry, Jabeur broke at love to take the opening set and threw an uppercut as she walked to the sideline. Rybakina is a 23-year-old who was born in Moscow and has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, when that country offered her funding to support her tennis career. There were glimpses of both in the opening game, including a 119 mph service winner on the match's initial point.

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.

With Serena Williams nearing the end of her career and Ash Barty newly in retirement, Elena Rybakina served her way right into the Wimbledon void.

“I think she’s one of the best from the young generation,” Jabeur said. And Ons, she was using the serve very well,” Rybakina said in her post-match news conference. “I didn't really think yet about the U.S. Open and the next tournaments,” Rybakina said. “I knew I have this big weapon, serve, but it didn’t work out for the whole first set. It was her first singles match since stopping in the first round last year because of injury. The 23-time Grand Slam champion, who is 40 and owns seven titles at the All England Club, lost in the first round.

The Russian Tennis Federation was quick to claim Elena Rybakina as "our product" on her run to the women's title at Wimbledon.

The Kazakhstan Tennis Federation stepped in with an offer -- represent it in exchange for the cash needed to support the global lifestyle of a tennis player. President Tokayev said in front of Putin at a televised conference in St. Petersburg last month that Kazakhstan would not recognize the two Russia-backed separatist governments in eastern Ukraine. When Rybakina -- nervous, barely smiling, seemingly not quite sure what she had achieved -- climbed into the stands at Centre Court on Saturday to celebrate with her team, she embraced first KTF president Bulat Utemuratov, then Yaroslava Shvedova, the former player who has become her mentor. "Kazakhstani tennis player Elena Rybakina has achieved a historic victory in the extremely prestigious Wimbledon tournament. Moscow-born Sofia Kenin, who left Russia as a baby and plays for the United States, won the Australian Open in 2020. "It's the Russian school, after all.

In a year when Russian players were banned from Wimbledon, Moscow-born Elena Rybakina rallied from a set down to defeat Tunisia's Ons Jabeur 3-6 6-2 6-2 on ...

"I knew I have this big weapon, serve, but it didn't work out for the whole first set. At her news conference Rybakina promised to show more emotion in future. The Kazakh won five straight points to win the game and then broke Jabeur again to leave the Tunisian burying her face in her towel during the changeover. The Tunisian had three chances to level things up during a lengthy fourth game but Rybakina held firm and then broke Jabeur in the following game to take a 4-1 lead. "Kept it (inside) too long... "

Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan celebrates with the trophy after victory against Ons Jabeur of Tunisia during. Julian Finney/Getty Images. A new Wimbledon champion ...

Then in her press conference after the match, she was asked for her opinion on Russia’s invasion on Ukraine and if she condemned the war. She begged off saying she didn’t understand the question due to her limited English, adding: “For my part I can only say I am representing Kazakhstan. I didn’t choose where I was born. “I think most of the time, I spend on tour. She basically didn’t outwardly react after Jabuer’s forehand sailed wide on the final point and cracked only a few smiles on the court post-match, explaining later that the win was “shocking” and she was trying to stay calm. Rybakina was born in Moscow and trained under the Russian Tennis Federation until 2018 when they cut her loose. Ahead of Wimbledon this year, tournament officials decided to ban any players from Russia and Belarus from competing in the tournament following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The All England Club, with all its stuffy pomp and patriotic circumstance couldn’t very well have the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton handing over the trophy to a Russian, could they?

Elena Rybakina has defeated Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the Wimbledon final to become the first tennis player from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam singles ...

"I didn't know what to do. There was one last crucial moment: Jabeur, who uses as many spins and slices and variety as anyone in the game, parlayed a drop shot and a lob into love-40 on Rybakina's serve. "I mean, it's just something I will never forget." "She started to be more aggressive. Rybakina was born in Moscow and has represented Kazakhstan since 2018, when that country offered her funding to support her tennis career. "I didn't play my best tennis, let's say, second and third set," said Jabeur, who leads the women's tour with 13 victories in three-setters this year. This was the first Wimbledon women's final since 1962 between a pair of players both making a debut in a Grand Slam title match, and Rybakina acknowledged being nervous at the start. — and threw an uppercut as she walked to the sideline. "I hope they're not really disappointed, but I'll try my best next time." A volley into the net tape with the full court wide open. Instead, Rybakina kept a firm double-grip on the black-and-red straps of the racket bag slung over her shoulders. They were not on hand Saturday; she had not spoken to them yet.