Who Is Elena Rybakina? Kazakhstani Tennis Star Off To Wimbledon Semis

World No. 4 Elena Rybakina booked her spot for the Wimbledon semifinal as she defeated Ukraine's Elina Svitlona 3-2 on July 10. The Kazakhstani athlete dominated the straight sets in a 6-3, 6-2 contest on Centre Court within 61 minutes. Britain's Queen Camilla was present in the stands to witness Rybakina's breathtaking performance. She told the Agence France-Presse, "It's always tough to play against Elina, she's a great player, great fighter. No matter
the score, it is not as easy as it might look like." Rybakina is the number one player from Kazakhstan, making her the first in the country to make it to the World Top 10. 

Who Is Elena Rybakina?

Elena Rybakina is currently the fourth-best singles player in the world, according to the Women's Tennis Association index. The Russian athlete has a unique history. When she didn't find enough support from her own country, she changed her nationality to represent Kazakhstan in 2018. This was mainly in the process of securing "bigger support" from the Kazakh Tennis Federation, according to reports.

Moscow-born Rybakina started playing tennis at the age of six. Her interest in sports was piqued by playing with her older sister, Anna, from a very young age, originally focusing on gymnastics and ice skating. Rybakina was told that she was too tall to become a professional in either of those, so her father suggested she switch to tennis, which was his favourite game. 

The 25-year-old tennis star made history as the first player from Kazakhstan to win a title at a major tournament, claiming the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. She has ascended great heights in her career, earning eight titles on the WTA Tour, including two WTA 1000 titles at the 2023 Indian Wells Open and the 2023 Italian Open.

Rybakina also reached the 2023 Australian Open final, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. In 2021, she reached her first quarter-final at Roland Garros and beat Serena Williams in the round of 16. As a junior, Rybakina reached a career-high combined ranking of No. 3 and won a Grade-A title at the 2017 Trofeo Bonfiglio.