Using Her Gifts, Rybakina Looms as Potential Wimbledon Winner

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday, July 4, 2022

Asked by a reporter if she compares her game style to any other player on tour, Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina had the perfect answer:

“I never compared myself with anyone,” she said. “I just know that I have this gift. I’m tall and I play really fast. It’s effortless, I would say. It’s not something I’m working in the gym or something.

“This is my weapon, and I’m just trying to use it as much as I can.”

The 23-year-old has used her weapon to reach her second Grand Slam quarterfinal on Monday at Wimbledon, and she now lurks at the top of the draw where Iga Swiatek was supposed to be, as a potential threat to make a career-best result.

She will face either Alize Cornet or Ajla Tomjlanovic in the quarterfinals at SW19.

Rybakina, who has yet to drop a set at Wimbledon this year, defeated Petra Martic, 7-5, 6-3 in 80 minutes, and though she has been broken twice in each of her last three victories (over Bianca Andreescu, Zheng Qinwen and Martic), she has manage to come through in the clutch when the situation has called for it.

She is 3-0 in tiebreakers through four rounds, and is through to the quarterfinals having spent just six hours and 26 minutes on court.

First Wimbledon quarter-final ✅

Elena Rybakina defeats Petra Martic 7-5, 6-3 on No.1 Court#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/PiGC0KQtRj

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2022

“Just play point by point, focus on my serve, of course,” she said. “I think I was actually up many sets. In the end it got to the tiebreak. I knew what I have to do. It just was the question of the focus.

“I’m really happy that all these matches, I managed to win in two sets. Also these tiebreaks. I think it’s good statistic compare the other matches I played.”

Rybakina now carries a career record of 7-1 at Wimbledon, with her only loss coming in three sets to eventual runner-up Aryna Sabalenka last year.

She says she generally likes the grass but didn’t feel confident this year due to the fact that she got sick after Roland-Garros and did not play well in the grass-court warmup events at ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Eastbourne.

“This year I would say that I didn’t start well,” she said. “I was not so confident because I didn’t have good preparation. I was injured, got sick in Paris, and I couldn’t recover.

“In the end just with every match, of course I’m getting more confidence.”