Not to diminish the other tennis Grand Slams, but Wimbledon has always had a little more heft. The challenging grass tournament is not only the oldest in the world, but it’s also considered the most prestigious, and it generally carries the most tension and suspense as a result.
So for a 23-year-old (!) like Elena Rybakina to come out on top in a tournament that greats like Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams made their hay in: It’s a huge deal.
On Saturday — by defeating Ons Jabeur (-154) in three sets in the women’s Wimbledon Final — Rybakina, who represents Kazakhstan, became the youngest singles player in more than a decade (since Petra Kvitová in 2011) to win the hallowed Grand Slam.
Here’s her moment of triumph:
The moment Elena Rybakina became a Wimbledon champion 👏 #Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/gVCU9oqxx5
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2022
Rybakina’s youth isn’t the only way she made history. She became the first women’s singles player since Amelie Mauresmo in 2006 to win the Wimbledon Final by coming back from a set down. And she’s the first player from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam title, per the WTA. Yeah, that’s pretty good!
And, as the Associated Press noted, it was the first Wimbledon women’s final since 1962 where both players were making their Grand Slam final debuts.
Here’s Rybakina rightfully admiring the famous Venus Rosewater Dish:
Seal of approval 😘#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/3BRFfrR0m2
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2022
A big win with history wrapped around it. Few things can ever be better in tennis.
