And on the women's circuit, the paradox: in the year of the Russian tennis ban (punished by the war in Ukraine), a Kazakh tennis player born in Moscow takes over the cathedral. Elena Rybakina (23), tall and skinny, is the paradox and, at times, an uncomfortable tennis player.
–How do you feel, Russian or Kazakh? The press insists.
"Are we going back to that again?" I have already answered it on other occasions. I play for Kazakhstan. I feel happy representing Kazakhstan. It's been like this for a long time. I have been an Olympian for them. I've played the Fed Cup...
(she is Kazakh since 2018; she was fourth in Tokyo 2020)
The nationalization process responds to the need. Rybakina's parents needed funding to boost her teenager's career. Moscow did not give them a field. Kazakhstan entered the scene.
The Nursultan government was going to bet on Rybakina when the creature was 19 years old and justita appeared in the world Top 200 (in 2018 it was the 175th; now, for winning Wimbledon, it will take 2.4 million euros).
“Kazakhstan believed in me,” he says.
It was not the only one to change flags: Alexander Bublik, Mikhael Kukushkin, Dmitry Popko, Andrei Golubev...
(The millionaire Bulat Utemuratov, head of the Kazakh Tennis Federation, is behind those operations; Forbes calculates that his fortune, based on the oil industry, is around 3,500 million euros)
"But where do you really live?" In Moscow?
I live on the circuit. I spend weeks traveling. Between tournaments I train in Slovakia. I go to campus in Dubai. I don't live anywhere, actually.
– And in Russia?
–No.
And so ends the matter.
For her, this is not the time for political or geographical disputes, but rather the time to celebrate her success.
It comes to him after having surprised the Tunisian Ons Jabeur, hypothetical favorite, on the Center Court, in a match split in half. From the outset, very much on the side of Jabeur, the first African in the final of a major, a technical and creative tennis player whose topspin return drives Rybakina crazy and even snatches the first set from her.
And then, on the side of Rybakina (23rd racket in the WTA today, both players made their debut in an event of this weight), who rearms: she improves the percentage of winners and reduces the percentage of unforced errors, and ends up overwhelming Jabeur, holding back tears at the trophy presentation while chatting with Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.
