WATCH: Elena Rybakina makes the famous Center Court climb to the players’ box after defeating Ons Jabeur in the finals of Wimbledon 2022
Elena Rybakina
Russian players were banned from Wimbledon 2022. But it is a Moscow-born player who wins the women’s singles title. Having turned 23 just a couple of weeks before the commencement of this tournament, Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan mentioned at the start of the Grand Slam that it would be an achievement in itself had she made it to the 2nd week. She exceeded her own expectations by a long shot as she defeated Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. When she made it past the quarter-finals, it was a subdued celebration.
When she won her semi-final match against former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep, who had won this title back in 2019, Elena’s reactions were again very measured. These are ideal traits for a sportsperson, not too jubilant when things are right. It gives us an insight into how they would recover from the lows of their career which is an inevitability. For the keen observers who have witnessed many players and their Grand Slam victories over the years, there was something along those lines that we got to see from Elena.
Elena Rybakina walked quietly to her player’s box
It’s quite the tradition that has been followed by numerous players who win these prestigious Grand Slam silverware. Ash Barty – former world No. 1 – did the same when she was the last woman to win the Wimbledon before the 23-year-old Kazakhstan player. Rybakina made that short journey through the hustle and bustle of the crowd where she went on to embrace her members present in her player box – her sister always camera ready to immortalise the priceless moment. It’s a memorable experience which would be etched in her heart forever.
Her close associates and people who have walked this path with her today would be one of those days where all of those countless hours feels worthwhile. But when she gave her on-court interview after winning her first-ever Grand Slam by defeating Tunisian force Ons Jabeur, you could spot that undercooked, very raw and innocent side of Rybakina the newest crowned Wimbledon champion.
After winning her championship point, there was no extravagant razzmatazz that we have grown accustomed to when a player ends up being the last person standing at the end of 2 gruelling weeks of a Grand Slam. She went up to the net and shook hands with her opponent who had earlier forced her to take the longer route to attain this eventual glory.
“Someone just go up to her and let her know she’s won the entire thing,” remarked John McEnroe when Elena was sitting on her allotted space moments after winning the match. The other commentator also mentioned it’s okay to jump up and down for a while but clearly Elena had her own ways to sink it in.
Also Read: List of records broken by Elena Rybakina after winning the Wimbledon 2022
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Dwaipayan Mukherjee
(10 Articles Published)