Elena Rybakina was playing in her first singles final at a Grand Slam.
Kirsty Wigglesworth/The Associated Press
Wimbledon, England – Losing a tennis match on a stage as large as Center Court probably never feels good. Sometimes a player is so good, you explode off the field and all you can do is tip your hat to him and realize it wasn’t your day.
Other times, matches are about Xs and Os, or how players deal with the moment.
For Ons Jabeur, the darling of fans and journalists alike, this tournament was a bit of all of the above in Saturday’s Women’s Singles Final against Elena Rybakina.
Both competing in the biggest match of their lives, their first Grand Slam final appearance for both of them and their countries, the bizarre match reflected their lack of experience at the moment and showed the final score – 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 Rybakina’s victory.
“I’m glad it’s over, to be honest, because I really didn’t feel anything like this,” Rybakina said during her post-match interview on the field.
Jabeur warmed up for Wimbledon by playing doubles with Serena Williams and sharing her feelings about her desire to inspire other Tunisian children to exercise. People in the tennis world already knew that she was an attractive player and someone who was also loved by the players. She aimed to be the first Arab and first African woman to win a major title. She was the favorite in this final. She played the role perfectly in the first set, betrayed a few nerves, losing only four points on the serve to take the frame.
It looked as if the second set was going to be a formality, but the match turned quickly.
Rybakina started reading Jabeur’s oddball and settled into the match, showing true sportsmanship in keeping with her strength. She may be the best server in women’s tennis, but she showed how well she can play in defense too. When Rybakina started taking one of Jabeur’s weapons – her beautiful drop shot – Jabeur’s uncertain errors started to rise and became more and more frustrated. All credit goes to Rybakina, who did not succumb to the pressures of the moment.
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The sixth match of Group C was an example of this. Dropping 3-2 down the set, Jaber used a drop shot and a well-placed shot to raise a 40-love to Rybakina’s serve. But after sending two big serves, both within 120mph, the 23-year-old erased three break points, eventually held his serve, and went on to win the match.
Jaber was looking forward to becoming the first Tunisian player to win a Grand Slam title.
Kirsty Wigglesworth/The Associated Press
Jaber will certainly be disappointed not to finish this match, especially on top of losing in the first round of the French Open. But we haven’t seen the last of Jaber, who is 27, mature into her game despite the sting of back-to-back slam results.
“I love this tournament so much. I feel really sad. But it is tennis. There is only one winner,” Jaber said. “I am really happy because I am trying to inspire many generations of my country. I hope they listen.
The big story that arrived at Wimbledon was the unprecedented ban on Russian and Belarus players in response to Russia’s war with Ukraine. No one behind this decision wanted to glorify or see the sight of a Russian player lifting the trophy so that Vladimir Putin could use it as propaganda. He could have endured a lot. But in Rybakina, you have a player who was born and raised in Moscow. Her family still lives there. But she was able to play because she received funding from the Kazakhstan Federation and changed her nationality.
Like we said earlier, we don’t envy Rybakina for her decision and the ban wasn’t her doing, but there was something a bit embarrassing about a Russian player in every way except for her Wimbledon passport win. This is not Rybakina’s fault, it is about the general decision.
Throughout the tournament, she was measured and diplomatic when asked about the situation, likely aware of how politically charged she was. We can’t help but feel it, as the flaws of the ban really popped up on Saturday.
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