Elena Rybakina has jumped through countless hoops in her lifetime to beat all the odds and become the Champion she is. She has been a crowd favorite and has also been deemed the Best Grass Court Player by Andy Roddick! The world number three is the reigning champion of the prestigious Wimbledon after her iconic and historic debut in 2022.
However, the Kazakhtani has complained about breathlessness and fatigue after taking a brisk walk not too long ago! This has raised speculations that her chances to defend the title this year might be rather slim after her illness in Roland Garros 2023.
Elena Rybakina pulls our of Eastbourne International due to illness
An unspecified virus compelled the Kazakhstani tennis player to withdraw from the French Open. She started off with dominating wins in the qualifiers but suddenly something felt off. Rybakina explained how she was having difficulties breathing during her warm ups and knew that she had to back down. The Kazakh icon immediately withdrew her name hoping that she would be ready to fire by the grass season.
Eastbourne International was her chance to gain experience before defending her first Grand Slam Championship. She says,”I still think that I’m not 100 per cent physically where I want to be but slowly it’s getting better and hopefully I can get some more matches here and feel more comfortable at Wimbledon.”
The mysterious virus however, had other plans for Rybakina. She announces on Monday that she is still recovering and is withdrawing to prepare for Wimbledon.
“I also picked up another small issue in Berlin, so my team and I decided it would be better to recover this week and prepare for Wimbledon.”
Here's what Rybakina said yesterday about still not feeling her best after the virus she picked up at the French Open.https://t.co/AXDU5EAaFA
— Yasmin Syed (@yasminstefsyed) June 26, 2023
The expectations for this favorite ‘minister of happiness‘ might be lowering with just one more week till Wimbledon. Although considering the odds that Elena had beaten in the past, we can never knew if she will put another iconic fight and make her way through the end.
Who will Elena Rybakina face in the first game of her Wimbledon defence?
The Wimbledon Draw for the Ladies Singles will be available on their official website on 30th of June. There are quite a few players that the crowd favorite might need to look out for while defending the Championship. The two women ranking above her, Iga Świątek and Aryna Sabalenka
The Estonian former world number two, Anett Kontaveit has also announced her early retirement right after Wimbledon 2023. “I am ready for new challenges after my last effort as a professional tennis player – to enjoy the game and compete as hard as I can at Wimbledon,” she writes on Instagram. Her injuries will most definitely not stop her from competing as fiercely as she can in her final tournament.
Last year’s runner-up, Ons Jabeur and the American youngster, Coco Grauff are a few players to look out for this Wimbledon season.
There are so much expectations for Elena Rybakina and several other female players for this Wimbledon 2023. Who do you want this star’s first opponent to be? Will she beat all the odds once again this year?
Let us know in the comments below!
