Because of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, professionals from Russia and Belarus were excluded from Wimbledon. Rybakina had said several times during the tournament that she was happy to represent Kazakhstan. “They believed in me. There’s no question how I feel anymore. I’ve been on a journey as a Kazakh player for a long time.” When asked about the war, she said she wanted it “to be over as soon as possible”. After her victory, she thanked the Kazakh association president Bulat Utemuratow for the trust and hugged him in the stands. “I’m really thankful for everything.”
Kazakh President: “Historical Victory”
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated Kazakhstan on a “historic victory”. Rybakina is an “outstanding athlete,” tweeted the head of state of the Central Asian country about Kazakhstan’s first individual triumph in a Grand Slam tournament. She also received congratulations from Russia. “We have contributed a lot to their development,” Shamil Tarpishchev, head of the Russian Tennis Federation, told the Russian newspaper “Sport-Express”. “Are there any grudges against them? No. This is sport. Everyone chooses their own path. That is their right.”
Before the final, she avoided questions about where she lived in Moscow. Due to her many trips as a professional athlete, she is actually at home on the tour. “I spend most of my time on tour. I train between tournaments in Slovakia, have camps in Dubai. So I don’t live anywhere to be honest.”
Two million pounds in prize money for Rybakina
Jabeur, who defeated Tatjana Maria in the semifinals, initially dominated the game. But Rybakina fought back with her powerful game in front of celebrities like actor Tom Cruise. Born in Moscow, who changed nationality in 2018, will receive two million British pounds (equivalent to 2.36 million euros) for her triumph.
Jabeur was paid £1.05m to reach the final and missed out on the first Grand Slam title by an Arab and African player. “I’m glad I’ve inspired so many generations from my country,” said the 27-year-old, who has insisted that she plays for all Arab and African players. “You are an inspiration not only for juniors, but for everyone,” Rybakina enthused about her opponent. “You have an incredible game, I enjoy playing you so much.”
Jabeur gets the first sentence
It quickly became clear that it would be a completely different game for Jabeur than in the semifinals against Maria, which had been characterized by finesse and many backspin duels on both sides. As usual, Rybakina relied on her powerful serve and powerful groundstrokes. In contrast to the impressive semi-final success against former winner Simona Halep of Romania, she showed nerves and struggled with her opponent’s slice. After a backhand error by the Kazakhs, Jabeur got the first break to make it 2-1 and jumped for joy.
Rybakina stayed close in a hard-fought game, but wasn’t able to put enough pressure on her opponent when Jabeur served. The Tunisian used her first set ball for the second break after just 32 minutes and the deserved 6:3.