Wimbledon 2022 champion Elena Rybakina said her victory was a collective triumph that would not have been possible without the support of the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation. Moscow-born Rybakina, who has been competing for Kazakhstan since 2018 to gain more financial support, became the country’s first Grand Slam singles champion when she defeated 3rd-seeded Tunisian player Ons Jabeur to lift the Wimbledon title.
“From the moment I started representing Kazakhstan, I was very happy that I could continue playing and that this is a professional career”, said Elena Rybakina in an interview after arriving in the capital, Nur-Sultan. “No one knew how it would turn out. Of course, I’m super happy that in the end everything happened this way. I think it was a very important decision for me. And with all the support of the Kazakhstan federation, with the support of President Bulat Utemuratov, I think this is our common victory”, added she.
The 23-year-old Elena Rybakina also said that it was not easy to become a top professional after leaving Russia.
“From a youth career to a professional is very difficult and not many people can do it, especially to become a very high-ranked player. I think it’s very important and for me it was a very important moment – so I’m really grateful for the time and the opportunity I got”, added Elena Rybakina.
She gave the impression of not celebrating after the last point of the final.
“The moment I finished the match, I didn’t realize that I had won a Grand Slam title and the biggest tournament, so I’m extremely happy and it’s definitely a different time for me now. So many people are waiting for me, so much attention, so it won’t be easy, but I will try to take some time to recover, rest and prepare for my next tournaments”, said Elena Rybakina.
