In a tournament from which Russians and Belarusians had been excluded in retaliation for the war in Ukraine, it was therefore a 23-year-old player, born, raised and residing in Moscow who won by beating Tunisian Ons Jabeur 3 in the final. -6, 6-2, 6-2.

"I was super nervous before the match, during the match, and I'm very happy that it's over. I've never felt anything like this," Rybakina said, failing to express her inner joy.

She succeeds Australian Ashleigh Barty, who retired in March.

"To tell the truth, I didn't expect to reach the second week of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon. So winning the tournament is really incredible. I don't have the words to say how happy I am," added the player who had never made it past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament (Roland-Garros 2021).

Tunisian Ons Jabeur in her lost final against Kazakh Elena Rybakina, July 9, 2022 Daniel LEAL AFP

Unlike Jabeur, who had prepared by winning the grass tournament in Berlin and who therefore had a series of eleven games won in a row on this surface, Rybakina's preparation had not been optimal.

His upward trajectory in 2019 had been abruptly interrupted by months marked by covid, injuries and health glitches.

And she had won only one match on grass, at 's-Hertogenbosch, in two preparatory tournaments at Wimbledon.

"Elena stole my title"

But from the height of her 1.84m, the one who is now the youngest winner of the Major on grass since the Czech Petra Kvitova in 2011 rained down aces, twirled the winning shots and sent all her opponents back to the locker room.

Including 2019 champion and ex-world No.1 Simona Halep.

Kazakh Elena Rybakina serving in the Wimbledon final, July 9, 2022 SEBASTIEN BOZON AFP

Prior to the final, Rybakina had scored 144 winners and 49 aces in six games.

In a final match where her serve played tricks on her, she nevertheless added 4 aces and 29 winners.

"She has such potential... She is still rough in many areas and we have a long process ahead of us," coach Stefano Vukov told the BBC.

If Rybakina's joy was very contained, the player having had for any external manifestation of an ecstatic happiness only a few climbing movements to go up to the stand to kiss her loved ones, Jabeur's disappointment was visibly at the height of his hopes.

"Elena stole my title, but that's fine!" Tried to joke the Tunisian, nicknamed "the Minister of Happiness" in her country.

However, she admitted to being "really sad", especially since she "tries to be a source of inspiration for generations" in Tunisia.

Elena Rybakina, winner of Wimbledon 2022 Gal ROMA AFP

The first Arab player to reach the quarter-finals of a Major, in 2020 in Australia, she is the first from the African continent to have played a Grand Slam final in the professional era (since 1968).

And she saw herself being the first to win the supreme title.

But his old-fashioned game, made of variations, slices, drop shots, crashed against Rybakina's modern game.

The only downside, the victory will not bring any ranking points to Rybakina since the WTA, like the ATP for men, decided not to award any this year, after the tournament, following the exclusion of players. Russians and Belarusians.

Glory remains.

© 2022 AFP