Wimbledon champion informed what to ‘handle’ to defend title as sickness causes chaos
Elena Rybakina was a shock champion 12 months in the past however now goes into SW19 as one of many high gamers on the WTA Tour. But a viral sickness has seen her pull out of two current tournaments, casting some doubt over her hopes of retaining the crown. Amid the uncertainty, the president of her nation’s tennis federation completely informed Express Sport what she should do to defend her title.
Rybakina introduced herself at Wimbledon final 12 months, storming to the title whereas ranked No 23 on the planet and beating the likes of Simona Halep and Ons Jabeur en route. It was the primary time that the Kazakh had been past the semi-final of a Major and he or she has since adopted it up by making the Australian Open remaining.
This time round, the 24-year-old is likely one of the heavy favourites for the title and is a part of what has been dubbed because the WTA’s ‘Big Three’ together with Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka. But Rybakina is racing to be prepared after pulling out of the French Open with a viral illness, which was nonetheless bothering her earlier this week when she additionally withdrew from Eastbourne.
With the world No 3 set to begin her title defence towards Shelby Rogers on Tuesday, Kazakhstan Tennis Federation president Bulat Utemuratov informed her to handle the added expectations and a focus. “It’s going to be different because the pressure is on her this time, and she’s going to be one of the favourites to win,” he informed Express Sport.
“Elena wasn’t one of the favourites last year, and she was able to play freely, without any expectations from anyone. A lot has changed in the last 12 months, however, and people expect her to play well. Attention from the media and from fans is also new to her. She has to manage this and remain calm and focused.”
While defending a Grand Slam title might be unknown territory for Rybakina, she has risen to expectations since lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish final summer season. Utemuratov continued: “The past 12 months have not been easy for Elena, given the high expectations on the part of both tennis experts and fans in the wake of her victory at Wimbledon.
“Elena has proven, however, that her championship at Wimbledon was no fluke, and she has enjoyed excellent results, reaching the finals at the Australian Open and in Miami, as well as winning titles at Indian Wells and in Rome. She has regularly defeated the top players in the world, climbing to No 3 in global rankings.”
While the Kazakh tennis boss is aware of that Wimbledon might be very totally different for Rybakina this time round, he backed her to maintain performing below strain. “Elena is going to Wimbledon to defend her title this year, and there will, of course, be some pressure on her,” he added.
“I think that’s just part of professional sports. Athletes have to earn their ranking and prove themselves over again and again, as being at the top is never easy. The best players are pursued by their opponents, which can be difficult psychologically. Despite this, I have no doubt that Elena has the right psychological approach and attitude, which helps with her preparation for important matches and with her performance.”
Utemuratov can also be properly conscious that there are harmful gamers everywhere in the draw in addition to the standard suspects of Swiatek and Sabalenka. He stated: “I don’t think there will be any easy opponents in the opening rounds. Given that the Grand Slam tournaments bring out the best in every player, we may once again see new names in the later stages of the competition, as was the case at Roland Garros, where the Czech player Karolína Muchova reached the final with an impressive performance. To defend her title, Elena will have to battle for every point and play her best tennis.”
But that may all come down as to whether Rybakina recovers in time, as this week she was nonetheless battling with the after-effects of the virus she caught in Paris – one thing she said left her stuck in a hotel room for days. “As I already mentioned, it won’t be easy; she needs to take it step by step, point by point and match by match. I hope she’ll have time to fully recover from the nasty virus she picked up in Paris and that she’ll be ready for Wimbledon,” Utemuratov added.