Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina wins her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon
England's Wimbledon: Elena Rybakina entered the Centre Court sunlight on Saturday before the Wimbledon final but refrained from waving due to her anxiety.
Instead, she maintained a tight double grip on the racket bag's black-and-red straps.
Zero wave. Almost no looking around. Given that it was her first appearance in a Grand Slam championship final,
her performance in the opening stages of the match also revealed some nervousness.
She defeated Ons Jabeur by scores of 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 after nearly two hours of hard hitting and sprinting at the All England Club to claim the title and earn Kazakhstan its first major event singles trophy.
Even then, Rybakina's response was as subdued as possible—a little sigh and a faint grin.
To be honest, the 23-year-old was relieved that it was over since she had never experienced anything like that.
She was born in Moscow and has been playing for Kazakhstan since that nation promised to assist her tennis career in 2018.
Due to the hostilities in Ukraine, the switch prevented any players who represent Russia or Belarus from competing in the competition, which has generated discussion throughout Wimbledon.
Just one woman has been ranked lower than the No. 23 spot since the WTA computer rankings started in 1975.
Venus Williams, who had previously won three of her five Wimbledon championships and was ranked No. 1 at the time Rybakina won the tournament, did so in 2007 while she was ranked No. 31.
Rybakina broke the 12-match winning run of the 27-year-old Tunisian, who played all of his victories on grass courts,
by using her strong forehand and large serve to outduel the No. 2-ranked Jabeur's eclectic game, which included a combination of spins and slices.