The 23-year-old Rybakina was born on Moscow and played in the Russian system until 2018, when financial issues led to her nationality switch
The 23-year-old Rybakina was born on Moscow and played in the Russian system until 2018, when financial issues led to her nationality switch
The Russian Tennis Federation was quick to claim Elena Rybakina as “our product” on her run to the women’s title at Wimbledon.
They then praised her training program in the country after she won the Venus Rosewater Dish as Wimbledon champion while representing Kazakhstan.
“It’s the Russian school, after all. She played here with us for a long time, and then in Kazakhstan,” Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpishchev told sports website Championat on Saturday after Rybakina beat Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 on Centre Court.
The 23-year-old Rybakina was born on Moscow and played in the Russian system until 2018, when financial issues led to her nationality switch.
There’s been no official reaction from the Kremlin on Rybakina’s Wimbledon success, but some commentators have claimed her victory as a Russian achievement and a symbolic snub to the All England Club’s ban on players representing Russia and Belarus.
Players from those countries were banned from the Wimbledon tournament because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Some Russian state media outlets emphasized Rybakina’s roots in Moscow, with others opting to call her simply a “representative of Kazakhstan.” The last Russian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title was Maria Sharapova at the French Open in 2014. Moscow-born Sofia Kenin, who left Russia as a baby and plays for the United States, won the Australian Open in 2020.
Kazakhstan, meanwhile, is ecstatic at having its first Grand Slam singles champion.
“Kazakhstani tennis player Elena Rybakina has achieved a historic victory in the extremely prestigious Wimbledon tournament. I heartily congratulate this outstanding athlete!” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev wrote on Twitter.
Rybakina’s win is the culmination of a long-term plan for tennis in Kazakhstan. The oil and gas-rich Central Asian nation has a long tradition of homegrown success in sports like boxing and cycling but has often relied on recruiting talented…
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