‘It’s history, it’s tough to believe’ – Elena Rybakina stunned after Wimbledon win over Ons Jabeur

Rybalinka became the first player from Kazakhstan to win Wimbledon after coming from behind to beat Tunisian Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.

The world number 12 was the underdog but battled brilliantly to take a maiden slam in her maiden final.

And Rybakina confessed she was still in shock during her press conference.

“I still can’t believe it,” she said. “Maybe one day, in a few days, I [will] sit down and I realise what I did. But for now I’m super proud of myself. Of course, my team and everybody who worked with me. It’s been tough, but I think we made it all together.

“I was super nervous. Yesterday I had a good practice. But in the evening I already started to feel like I’m too nervous. In the morning also. But I was just trying to tell myself that it’s a match and I already had experience. I mean, for me the worst thing, if you’re up, then you lose the match. Unfortunately I had many matches like this, so maybe it helped me a bit. I was trying to convince myself that it might happen again, and hopefully it’s not the last time I’m in the final. Not the first; not the last.

“Ons played unbelievably. She’s a very tough opponent with all the dropshots and everything. After that I just moved completely to the match and was focused point by point.”

Always calm

Rybalinka’s on-court reaction to winning was surprisingly muted, showing little to no emotion but for a smile after taking match point.

Jabeur joked she would have to teach her opponent how to celebrate, while Rybakina admitted she is always calm on court after a win.

“I’m always very calm. I don’t know what should happen (with my celebration),” she added.

“When I was giving the speech in the end I was thinking, I’m going to cry right now, but somehow I hold it. Maybe later when I’m going to be alone in the room, I’m going to cry nonstop.

“I didn’t know what to do [after I won]. It was shocking. I don’t know, maybe because I believe that I can do it deep inside. But at the same time it’s, like, too many emotions.

“Maybe one day you will see a huge reaction from me, but unfortunately not today.

“It’s just unbelievable. I’m super happy. I appreciate Mr. Bulat Utemuratov (President of Kazakh tennis]. He came to watch and support me from the semis. He was always on the phone through the weeks, through the matches, supporting me. So I’m really, really grateful for everything. I mean, it’s just history. It’s tough to believe, to be honest.”

Rybakina was outplayed in the first set that looked like it could propel world number two Jabeur to her first Grand Slam title.

But the Kazakh remained calm, adapted, and relaxed into the match before fighting back to win.

And as she reflected on the changes that won her the match, she praised ‘super nice’ Jabeur and her rival’s tennis career.

She said: “Maybe in] the first set I was too nervous. Of course, Ons, she played well. I needed time to adjust to her game. But then I thought that I’m going to fight till the end no matter what. Just tried to focus on every point because it was very tough. It was super hot. I think because I was nervous physically, I thought I cannot anymore. But in the end I was just running to all these dropshots. I think it was the first time really when I run so much to all these tricky shots from Ons.

“I think [Ons is a] very good person. Actually, the first time we met, I went to play maybe one of my first WTA tournaments. I was there with my dad and I didn’t even know where the tennis club was, nothing. And I met her. She was super nice to me.

“She showed everything. That time I think she was – I was out of 200. but she was also not so high in the ranking. It was very nice. Then to see how much she achieved also. I saw the list, history she made, just respect to her and her team. It’s a great job.

“Today I was too stressed out (to enjoy it). I think I didn’t enjoy it as much as I should have. I enjoyed the semi-final. I don’t know why. I also played very well in that match.”

More Slams, world No. 1 ambitions

Rybakina, an outsider for Wimbledon, also added that she thinks winning Wimbledon will give her the belief she can win more slams, and encouraged young people – even without experience – to throw themselves into tennis and be inspired.

“If I’m going to be able to go far in the other Grand Slams, I already know the road. I know how stressful it can be. But I think, of course, it’s just experience. Next time I will approach it differently.

“Maybe I proved that not always you have to have a great team from a young age because I didn’t till the age of 17, 18.

“So I think this is the most important thing, that everybody, no matter their financial situation, no matter who they are, they can play and achieve many great results. And to myself that I can actually win a Grand Slam, believe more in myself, and maybe I can win more Grand Slams. Who knows?”

Indeed, even after winning Wimbledon Rybakina had not lost sight of her ambitions.

“I want to be top ten,” she told Mats Wilander and Barbara Schett. “I want to be number one. Still there is a long road to go, and still I have to improve in many things, to work a lot. My potential is still high and there is lots of work to go.”

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