They then praised her training program in the country after she won the Venus Rosewater Dish as Wimbledon champion while representing Kazakhstan. “It’s the Russian school, after all. She played here with us for a long time, and then in Kazakhstan,” Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpichev told sports website Championat on Saturday after Rybakina beat Ons Jabeur 3-6 , 6-2. 6-2 on Center Court. Rybakina, 23, was born in Moscow and played in the Russian system until 2018 when financial issues led to her changing nationality. There was no official reaction from the Kremlin on Rybakina’s success at Wimbledon, but some commentators claimed that her victory was a Russian achievement and a symbolic disapproval of the All England Club’s ban on players representing Russia and Belarus. Players from these countries were banned from the Wimbledon tournament due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Some Russian state media have emphasized Rybakina’s roots in Moscow, while others choose to simply call her “a representative of Kazakhstan.” The last Russian to win a Grand Slam singles title was Maria Sharapova at the French Open in 2014. Moscow-born Sofia Kenin, who left Russia as a baby and plays for the United States, won the Australian Open in 2020. Kazakhstan, meanwhile, are ecstatic to have their first Grand Slam singles champion. “Kazakhstan tennis player Elena Rybakina achieved a historic victory at the highly prestigious Wimbledon tournament. I warmly congratulate this outstanding athlete!” President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev wrote on Twitter. Rybakina’s win is the culmination of a long-term plan for tennis in Kazakhstan. The oil- and gas-rich Central Asian nation has a long tradition of domestic success in sports such as boxing and cycling, but often relies on recruiting talented tennis players from Russia. Rybakina, known for her long serve that has served a career-high 253 aces this year, made the switch at 19 when her career stalled due to financial issues. The Kazakhstan Tennis Federation stepped in with an offer — to represent them in exchange for the cash needed to support a tennis player’s global lifestyle. Rybakina said this week that she feels like she lives on tour rather than just any place. When Rybakina — nervous, barely smiling, seemingly unsure of what she had accomplished — took to the stands on Center Court on Saturday to celebrate with her team, she hugged first KTF president Bulat Utemuratov and then Yaroslava Shvedova, the former player who became her mentor. Shvedova, like Rybakina, was born in Moscow, switched allegiance to Kazakhstan in 2008 and won two Grand Slam doubles titles. Rybakina’s victory also comes at a tense time in relations between Russia and Kazakhstan. The year began with Russia deploying troops to its Central Asian neighbor to quell protests that turned violent. The government in Kazakhstan welcomed the move, but was particularly reluctant to support the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began the following month. President Tokayev told Putin at a televised conference in St. Petersburg last month that Kazakhstan would not recognize the two Russian-backed separatist governments in eastern Ukraine. Rybakina has been guarded in her comments about the invasion. “I just want the war to end as soon as possible. Peace, yes,” she said after her quarterfinal match. On the ban on players representing Russia, Rybakina said: “When I heard that, that’s not something you want to hear because we play sports. Everyone wants to compete. They didn’t choose where they were born.”
