Following Elena Rybakina's triumph, Serena Williams remains last woman to win Wimbleon on multiple occasions since 2016
Elena Rybakina beat Ons Jabeur in three sets on Saturday to become the sixth different Wimbledon champion since Serena Williams triumphed in 2016.
Rybakina, 23, made a slow start in the biggest match of her career, conceding the opener. However, she made a rousing comeback, conceding only four games in the remainder of the match to become a Grand Slam winner for the first time.
There was a brief scare on her serve in the sixth game of the decider, when she found herself 40-0, serving at 3-2. However, the Kazakh reeled off five straight points to frustrate fellow first-time finalist Jabeur. Two games later, she hoisted aloft the biggest title of her young career.
Rybakina is the sixth different ladies' singles winner at Wimbledon since seven-time winner Serena Williams won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016. In fact, a sixth-different winner at SW19 got confirmed when 2019 champion Simona Halep lost to Rybakina in the semifinals.
. #Wimbledon2022
Elena Rybakina is the 2022 Women’s Wimbledon Champion. She beat Ons Jabeur in 3 sets to win her first grand Slam title. Another new women winning the trophy since Serena W last won back to back in 2016,2016!!!! Since then,every year we have had a new winner 🏆. #Wimbledon2022 https://t.co/oPDSAHrzK4
Meanwhile, following her last Wimbledon win six years ago, the 40-year-old Williams endured back-to-back first round defeats at SW19 for the first time.
Playing her first competitive match in exactly a year, the American failed to serve out victory in the third set against Harmony Tan. She eventually lost in a super-tiebreak after leading 3-0.
Elena Rybakina's milestones following her Wimbledon triumph
Elena Rybakina created history with her Wimbledon win on Saturday. Her triumph made her the first Kazakhstani player, male or female, to win a Grand Slam title. The 23-year-old is the youngest ladies' singles winner at SW19 since a 22-year-old Petra Kvitova won the first of her two titles in 2011.
Rybakina is the first Wimbledon ladies' singles champion to recover from losing the opening set in the final since Amelie Mauresmo in 2006. The Kazakh, seeded 17th, is also the lowest seed to win the grasscourt Major since 23rd seed Venus Williams triumphed in 2007.
"I've never felt something like this"
Believe it, Elena - you're a Wimbledon champion 🏆
#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 https://t.co/2p4wPqwxLr
Following her win on Saturday, Rybakina said in her press conference that she hopes to win more Majors in the future:
"I think that I will surely go far in other Grand Slams, I already know the way. I have shown myself that I can win a Grand Slam, maybe more than one. That is the goal I am going to work for."
Despite her triumph, Rybakina remains outside the top 20 in the WTA rankings and is currently ranked 23rd. This year's Championships were stripped of their ranking points after Wimbledon barred Russian and Belarusian players following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.