The global number 2 Jabeur started the final strongly on ‘the holy grass’. Rybakina had to hand in her second service and did so again at a 3-5 score, this time even on ‘love’. In the second act, however, the Kazakhstani managed to turn the tide, mainly because her first serve went much better.
A third set had to bring the decision. Rybakina immediately broke her opponent, a lead she managed to maintain with great difficulty in front of the more than 14,000 spectators on Center Court. However, when she held back against her serve in the sixth game despite three breakpoints, Jabeur’s resistance was broken.
Russian-born Rybakina has been playing for Kazakhstan since 2018. The Wimbledon victory is the absolute highlight of her early career. Last year she reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, her best performance so far at a Grand Slam.
Rybakina only encountered one seeded opponent on the way to the final in London: Simona Halep. The former number 1 in the world from Romania, who has now dropped to 18th place, was not involved in the semi-final. It was 6-3, 6-3 for Rybakina.
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