Kazakh tennis star Elena Rybakina aims to secure her second Wimbledon Championship title. Rybakina, who triumphed over Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the 2022 Wimbledon final, has set her sights on winning again. She commenced her Wimbledon 2024 campaign against Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse on Tuesday.
Ruse struggled with fitness issues in the second set, leading to Rybakina’s straightforward 6-3, 6-1 victory. Rybakina will face Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the second round on Thursday.
When asked about the favorites for the grass court Major, Rybakina noted that Iga Swiatek is a strong contender on clay, but grass can bring new frontrunners. She said, “There are a lot of good players. I think on clay Iga is definitely a great favourite. Wimbledon is a very special surface. The season is quite short. I think also a lot of new players are coming up. We will see. Hopefully I can repeat again (smiling).”
Before Wimbledon 2024, Rybakina withdrew from the Berlin Ladies Open due to illness and missed the Eastbourne International to prepare for Wimbledon. Reflecting on the pressure of her opening round, she shared, “I was pretty nervous also. Same as now. I think every match you go you’re quite nervous. Of course, you want to repeat the result. Maybe sometimes expectations are too big. At the end of the day, you’re fighting kind of against yourself every day. I think it’s normal to be nervous in the end.”
This year, Rybakina also missed the Indian Wells Masters and the Italian Open due to an undisclosed illness. However, she appears to be regaining her form at Wimbledon. Last year, she was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Ons Jabeur in a thrilling three-set match. This year, she’s among the favorites to win the prestigious title at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
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