Elena Rybakina
has been highlighted by the head of the Kazakh Tennis Federation as a "new
icon."
The
24-year-old tennis player is one of the main attractions on the WTA tour,
currently ranked No. 3 in the world. She won the 2022
Wimbledon title despite
not being one of the top favorites, and since then, she has maintained enough
consistency to reach the final of this year's Australian Open and win the Rome
Open.
Despite
dealing with physical issues, Rybakina is considered one of the favorites for
the third Grand Slam of the year. As the defending champion and one of the top
grass-court players, her main rivals are Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, who
have been strong competitors throughout 2023.
The head of
the Kazakh Tennis Federation has praised their compatriot, highlighting
Rybakina's achievements and potential as a rising star in the sport.
“Our best
sports person was Gennady Golovkin, the boxer, but now everybody talks only
about Elena Rybakina. She’s the new icon & this is a different situation.
We’re happy she encourages a new generation of kids to play tennis.”
The World
No. 3 withdrew from the WTA 500 Eastbourne Open a week ago before her scheduled
debut against Chinese player Wang Xiyu. This raised doubts about the level she
would bring to Wimbledon, but she managed to start the tournament on a positive
note.
Rybakina
had a successful debut in a challenging match against Shelby Rogers, where she
had to come from a set down to defeat the American 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. The Kazakh
player had a shaky first set but managed to improve in the second and third
sets, turning the match around.
In the
second round, Rybakina will face the winner of the match between lucky loser
Nao Hibino and Alize Cornet. Cornet has had previous success at Wimbledon, as
she ended Iga Swiatek's winning streak in 2022 and reached the round of 16.
