MY ACCOUNT
Elena Rybakina recovered from behind to beat Ons Jabeur in three sets in Saturday’s Wimbledon women’s singles final and claim her first Grand Slam title.
In a groundbreaking contest on Centre Court between two females contesting their maiden major finals – an Open Era first – it was No17 seed Rybakina who held her nerve.
She prevailed 3-6 6-2 6-2 in two hours and 52 minutes against the in-form Jabeur, who had won 11 matches in a row, to win just her third career title – and a first since 2020.
The 23-year-old, who had lost her past four finals, becomes the youngest female to win the singles title at the All England Club since Petra Kvitova in 2011.
Moscow-born Rybakina’s victory comes in a year in which Wimbledon banned Russians from playing following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
World No2 Jabeur settled the quicker of the pair and got an early break in the third game, blunting Rybakina’s big baseline hitting
Despite passing up two break points in the fifth game, Jabeur looked composed and again broke her opponent in the ninth game to grab a huge foothold in the match.
Rybakina’s 17 unforced errors in the opener suggested a gulf in quality, but she earned a first break in the opening game of the second set following a poor forehand from Jabeur.
Jabeur let a break point of her own pass her by in the next game as a growing-in-confidence Rybakina held, but the Tunisian dug deep to save a break point in the third.
That looked like being a big moment as, from 30-0 up, Rybakina gifted her opponent three break points, but Jabeur failed to take any of them – a running theme.
The Kazakh took three of the next four games to take the match all the way, and that momentum was carried into the decider as she won the opening game against serve.
Jabeur’s best shot at hitting back arrived in the sixth game, where three break points came and went, and with that Rybakina claimed the next two games for a famous victory.
Data slam: Elena’s elation after rare comeback win
Rybakina did things the hard way, but she was deserving of a victory that makes her the 57th different Grand Slam female winner of the Open Era and the 23rd at Wimbledon.
It is the first time in the past 15 such occasions that a player has lost the first set and gone on to win the Wimbledon women’s singles final, stretching back to 2006 when Amelie Mauresmo beat Justine Henin.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Rybakina – 29/33
Jabeur – 17/24
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Rybakina – 4/3
Jabeur – 4/1
BREAK POINTS WON
Rybakina – 4/6
Jabeur – 2/12
