"I always liked the traditions of strawberry and champagne": Rybakina dreamt of Wimbledon growing up

Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina never thought she'd end up lifting the prestigious title last year, and revealed it was a dream come true.

The 24-year old defeated Ons Jabeur to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish trophy last year, admitting in an interview that she felt no pressure throughout the tournament and even had plans on going on vacation during the second week.

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"I was watching Wimbledon on TV as a child, I always liked the traditions of strawberry and champagne, but I never thought I would even compete there, let alone win it,” Rybakina said in a recent interview with The Daily Mail UK. “It was such an amazing feeling to hold the trophy and to see my name on the board with all the legends. I still can’t believe it sometimes.”

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Although she admitted she would like to be World No.1, the Kazakh star stated she does not put pressure on herself when it comes to results or rankings.

"Of course I want to be No 1 someday, it’s every player’s dream,” she said. “But I don’t think about it too much. I just try to improve my game every day and to enjoy playing tennis. That’s what makes me happy.”