'Iga is definitely a great favourite' - Elena Rybakina hopeful about winning Wimbledon 2024 after R1 victory

Elena Rybakina won Wimbledon in 2022 by defeating Ons Jabeur in the final.

Kazakh tennis star Elena Rybakina hopes to win the Wimbledon Championships for the second time. Rybakina, who defeated Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the championship match to win the 2022 Wimbledon, has her eyes set on the prize again. On Tuesday, the 25-year-old started her Wimbledon 2024 campaign against Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse.

Elena-Gabriela Ruse was seen suffering from fitness issues in the second set of the match. However, Rybakina recorded a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 victory over the Romanian tennis star. She will face Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the second round on Thursday.

After the win, Elena Rybakina was asked about the favourites to win the grass court Major. In response to the question, she stated that Iga Swiatek is a hot favourite on clay; however, the grass is a different surface. As a result, multiple new players can emerge as the favourites at the tournament.

She said, “That there are a lot of good players. I think on clay Iga is definitely a great favourite. Wimbledon is a very special surface. The season is quite short. I think also a lot of new players are coming up. We will see. Hopefully I can repeat again (smiling).”

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Before the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, Elena Rybakina withdrew halfway from the 2024 Berlin Ladies Open due to an illness. In addition to that, she also missed Eastbourne International and started preparing for the grass court Major.

She also talked about the pressure she felt while playing her opening round fixture. Elena Rybakina said (via Wimbledon Press), “I was pretty nervous also. Same as now. I think every match you go you’re quite nervous. Of course, you want to repeat the result. Maybe sometimes expectations are too big.

She added, “At the end of the day, you’re fighting kind of against yourself every day. I think it’s normal to be nervous in the end.”

This year, the 25-year-old has also missed the Indian Wells Masters and the Italian Open due to an undisclosed illness. However, it seems like Rybakina is regaining her form at the grass court Major.

Last year, she was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Ons Jabeur in a three-set thriller. This year, she’s one of the favourites to win the prestigious Wimbledon title at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

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