Update: 07/09/2022 22:54
Issued by: 09/07/2022, 10:54 PM
London – Tennis player Jelena Rybakinová was happy, but also embarrassed by the triumph of her life after her victory at Wimbledon. The Moscow native, who has represented Kazakhstan for four years, said after her latest triumph over Uns Džabirová that due to her nervousness she will only enjoy her success from a distance. The president of the Russian Tennis Federation, Shamil Tarpishchev, also congratulated her from a distance, the twenty-third player in the world having remained cautious in his declarations on this subject.
“From my side, I can only say that I represent Kazakhstan. I didn’t choose where I was born,” Rybakinová said at the press conference. “The people of Kazakhstan believed in me and supported me. Even today I heard their support and saw the flags. So I don’t know how to answer these questions,” added the player twenty-three-year-old tennis player. As a Russian, she would not be able to compete at Wimbledon as Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from the All England Club grass courts due to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.
Tarpishchev told Russian media that Russians have contributed a lot to Rybakin’s performance growth. “But we don’t feel any grudges. This is sport. Everyone chooses their path and it’s their right,” Tarpishchev told Russian newspaper Sport-Express.
Rybakin was delighted to see Bulat Utemuratov, the president of the Kazakh Tennis Association, in the audience. She also received congratulations from Kate, Duchess of Cambridge during the ceremony. “She said that I played very well. But I was so shocked that I didn’t hear half of it. I’m sorry. She was very nice and to receive the trophy from her was something incredible “, said Rybakinová, who, like Džábirová, in the final she made her Grand Slam debut.
Although she became the first player in sixteen years to overturn an unfavorable situation in the Wimbledon final, she did not show much emotion after her triumph over the Tunisian 3:6, 6:2, 6: 2. “I’ve always been pretty calm. Besides, I didn’t know what to do now. I was shocked. I was overwhelmed with so many emotions that I just tried to stay calm. Maybe a day you’ll see a big reaction from me, but unfortunately it wasn’t now,” said the youngest Wimbledon winner since Petra Kvitova’s 2011 triumph.
She herself was happy that the tournament was already over, because she was very nervous before the final. “I’ve never felt anything like it. So I can’t describe how I feel now, but I’ll definitely remember those two weeks forever. I’ll never forget it,” Rybakinová said.
It wasn’t until she was asked at the press conference how her parents would react to her triumph that tears welled up in her eyes. “You wanted to see the emotions, didn’t you? They’ll probably be proud,” added the new Wimbledon winner with a smile.
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