Nobody expected her in the final!
On Saturday (3 p.m., Sky live), Kazakh Elena Rybakina (23) is sensational in the Wimbledon final against world number two Ons Jabeur (27) from Tunisia. Both women are contesting their first Grand Slam finals.
Rybakina faced questions that were uncomfortable for her. Because she was born in Russia, still lives in Moscow and changed associations in 2018 because she received more support in Kazakhstan. Nevertheless, many want to know about her:
How much Russian is in Rybakina?
The organizer had refused the start in Wimbledon to Russians and Belarusians because of the war in Ukraine. Will a Russian win after all, who is no longer just a Russian on paper?
When asked if she felt Russian or Kazakh, she said: “It’s hard to say how I feel. The tour is my home, I train in Slovakia. I’m hardly in Moscow. I represent Kazakhstan, the people there believed in me. You were looking for players, I was looking for help, and that’s where we found each other.”
Like almost all professionals, she is against the exclusion of the Russians and Belarusians. “We all just do sports. I feel with you. No one can choose where to be born. I just want the war to end as soon as possible,” she says.
Foto: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
” data-zoom-src=”https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/in-russia-geburt-fuer-kazakhstan-spielend-stands-elena-rybakina-vor-den-biggest-success-of-her-career- f8e49b2879f34b1593fa719432ab72c7-80648686/Bild/1.bild.jpg”/> Born in Russia and playing for Kazakhstan, Elena Rybakina is about to have the greatest success of her careerFoto: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
She seems unsure about questions about Russia. Sure, she’s only 23 and for the first time on such a big media stage. So far no one has been interested in her, now all the more so.
Even in their (old) homeland. The state-loyal Russian broadcaster Russia Today, which was shut down in Germany and other countries, immediately included Rybakina in its propaganda. “Russian-born star storms into Wimbledon final! The first Russian-born player to win Wimbledon since Maria Sharapova in 2004.
If world No. 23 underdog Rybakina wins, then there will be more questions.
