Elena Rybakina opens up on being disrespected despite winning Wimbledon as no ranking points were awarded

The Wimbledon 2022 participants were not awarded ranking points due to the tennis authorities' disagreement with the tournament's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from competing.

Elena Rybakina opens up on being disrespected despite winning Wimbledon as no ranking points were awarded

Elena Rybakina with the Wimbledon title (Credit : reuters)

Elena Rybakina got her biggest title win to date at the 2022 Wimbledon Championship, where she lifted her first Grand Slam singles title, defeating Tunisian pro Ons Jabeur in straight sets. She became the youngest female champion since 21-year-old Petra Kvitová in 2011. The Moscow-born Kazakh pro also became the first tennis player (male or female) representing Kazakhstan to reach the semi-final of a Grand Slam.

Before the tournament, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club announced that they wouldn’t allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian players following the British government’s strong response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a result, the tournament was marred by controversy as the WTA, ATP, and ITF withdrew ranking points from the tournament.

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In a recent interview with the ‘Mind Set Win Podcast‘ Rybakina remarked that the withdrawal of ranking points dampened her excitement after her title win. “It wasn’t easy to overcome this win. Of course, after winning a title, you’re like, ‘Wow. I hope it wasn’t by mistake or by luck.’ In my case, it was a bit different because I didn’t get the points,” she remarked.

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The 24-year-old couldn’t ride on the high of a Wimbledon title at the US Open as she suffered a first-round exit at the hands of Clara Burel. Subsequently, Rybakina said that she felt the weight of expectations on her shoulders and a seeming inability to rise to the occasion.

“On the rest of the tournaments & in another big Grand Slam, I didn’t feel like I was a top player. It’s a lot of expectations from you, a lot of people looking at you, waiting to see what you’re going to do in your next tournament. At the same time, you’re not treated as a top player because you didn’t get the points. I’d say this period wasn’t an easy one, to be honest,” she added.

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Elena Rybakina hails Iga Swiatek’s consistency, calls her one of the toughest opponents on Tour

World no.5 Elena Rybakina praised 4-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek‘s talent and consistency hailing her performance over the last 2 years on tour. Calling her one of the toughest opponents on tour, Rybakina talked about her fighting spirit and persistence during rallies.

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek (Credit : Lynsey Thompson)

The duo have locked horns four times with the Kazakh pro leading the head-to-head 3-1. Their most recent clash was at the 2023 Rome Open, where Swiatek retired after losing the second set on a tiebreak, handing Rybakina a walkover.

Rybakina recently played at the China Open, where she defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka en route to a semi-final finish. In the semi-final, she was defeated by Russian pro Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets. This was her fourth win over World No. 5 in as many attempts.

Elena has already confirmed her spot in the WTA Finals to be played in Cancun, Mexico.

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