Elena Rybakina. Getty/Robert Prange Elena Rybakina is the first singles player representing Kazakhstan to reach the final of a Grand Slam. She plays Ons Jabeur in the women’s final at Wimbledon on Saturday.
Here’s everything you need to know about the fast-rising 23-year-old. Elena Rybakina reached her inaugural Grand Slam final on Thursday when she beat Simona Halep in the semifinals of Wimbledon. But the 23-year-old didn’t just beat Halep, a former Wimbledon champion – she took her to pieces.
In a match that lasted just 1 hour and 15 minutes, Rybakina dominated the 2019 champion from start to finish with her impressively powerful forehand and ferocious serve to secure a 6-3, 6-3 win. “Simona is a great champion, but I was really focused today and really happy with my performance,” the world number 23 said after the match. “I think today I was mentally prepared and did everything I could.
It was an amazing match. “In reaching the Wimbledon final, where she plays Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur on Saturday, Rybakina has become the youngest female Wimbledon finalist since 2015 and the first singles player representing Kazakhstan to reach the final of a Grand Slam. Here’s everything you need to know about the fast-rising Kazakh star.
Rybakina was born in Russia. Rybakina was born in Moscow. Getty/Ole JensenBorn in Moscow in 1999, Rykabina was an avid gymnast and ice skater during her youth.
But after being told she was too tall to become a professional in either sport, she switched to tennis with encouragement from her father. “My dad was like, okay, just try tennis because he loves tennis,” Rybakina told the WTA Tour’s website. “He actually tried to play when he was 20.
So, yes, I started to play tennis like this. He brought me to the tennis. “She began playing on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2013 at the age of 14, winning numerous titles, including one Grade-A title at the Trofeo Bonfiglio, where she beat the current women’s world number one Iga Swiatek in the final.
She swapped to represent Kazakhstan in 2018. Rybakina serves at Wimbledon 2022. Getty/Julian FinneyShortly after winning her first ITF singles title in 2018, Rybakina obtained Kazakh citizenship and switched federations from Russia to Kazakhstan.
She said she made the decision because they offered her more financial support. In 2019, she began competing on the WTA Tour. During her first year on the tour, she qualified for the French Open and US Open but lost in the first round of both.
2020 was the year she began to make waves. Rybakina beat Serena Williams at the 2021 French Open. Getty/AFPRybakina had led the WTA Tour in finals and finished tied for second in match wins during the 2020 season before being shut down for five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her form saw her rise to a career-high ranking of 19 – over 150 places higher than she was at the start of the previous year. She carried her good form into the following year after the resumption of the tour. At the 2021 French Open, she reached the quarterfinals of the French Open without dropping a set, beating Serena Williams along the way.
The 23-year-old idolizes Roger Federer. Roger Federer. Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP ImagesAsked who her tennis idol was in 2020, Rybakina told the WTA Tour’s website that it was and remained Roger Federer.
She also said she looked up to Justine Henin, the retired Belgian player who won seven Grand Slam titles between 2003 and 2007. “I liked her game. I’m not playing like her because I’m being aggressive, but I liked what she was doing on court,” said Rybakina.
And she is renowned for her power. Rybakina is known for her power. Getty/Julian FinneyRybakina’s forehand, backhand, and serve are all exceptionally powerful.
The latter was on display in full force against Halep, with the Kazakh hitting five aces, the fastest of which was hit at a whopping 118 mph. Barbara Schett, an Austrian former professional tennis player, said after Rybakina’s win over Halep that she believes the 23-year-old will win the final because of her muscle. “To be honest, I almost favor Elena Rybakina a little bit because she’s playing power tennis,” Schett told Eurosport.
“She’s got an unbelievable serve where she gets a lot of free points, and she has a lethal forehand. “Read the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/elena-rybakina-kazakh-wimbledon-final-star-2022-7
