"It was really tough for me, I was pretty nervous" - Elena Rybakina on her return to Wimbledon's Centre Court as defending champion
Elena Rybakina revealed that she was really nervous as she stepped onto the centre court to lock horns with American Shelby Rogers on the second day of Wimbledon.
The Moscow-born player kicked off her title defense by knocking out Rogers, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the first round of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. Rybakina fired 12 aces as she rallied from a set down to beat the American. Rogers had previously beaten Rybakina in their last meeting in 2022.
During her on-court interview, Elena Rybakina said that she felt really nervous about her return to Wimbledon. She also praised the "amazing atmosphere" at the venue and expressed happiness at qualifying for the second round of the Major.
"It was really tough for me today, I was pretty nervous. I cannot even hide it, the double fault said it all in the beginning of the match. It was a really amazing atmosphere, and I am really pleased to get to another round."
"I was pretty nervous... I cannot hide it"
Even a #Wimbledon champion gets tense walking on to Centre Court https://t.co/V87agRpgWT
The 24-year-old further said that she was nervous playing on the Centre Court, the most iconic court of Wimbledon. On top of that, she was playing in front of the Royal Box that housed the Duchess of Cambridge and Roger Federer, among others. The Kazakhstani also said that she was enjoying the moment.
“I got experience last year playing on Centre Court in front of the Royal Box. It actually didn’t help me much. I was just as nervous today, it's an amazing atmosphere, first time playing under the roof, and the grass is full on the baseline. It’s just amazing, and I am happy to go to another round. I’m just enjoying the moment," Elena Rybakina added.
"I think I didn't start that well, I was not moving that great" - Elena Rybakina on overcoming a slow start to win 1R match at Wimbledon
The third seed of the tournament, Elena Rybakina, later reflected on her poor start against Rogers. Speaking to the media after her match, the 2023 Australian Open finalist criticized her on-court movement in the first set of her match.
"I think I didn't start that well. I was not moving that great. Straightaway was a break from the first game. So, of course, after that it's difficult. I was not that reactive on the return also."
Elena Rybakina continued to analyze her game and praised Rogers for not making many mistakes. She said that she focused on her serve and then perfected her returns.
"Of course, on grass, everything changes quickly. With a break down, it's not easy. Shelby, she played really well, also first set. She didn't have so many mistakes. I'm not so happy that it took me the whole set. I would say. In the end, I just tried to focus on every point, firstly, on my serve, then just to try to get the returns."
With her win over Rogers, Rybakina's win-loss record for the year stands at 34-8. The World No. 3 will take on either Alize Cornet or Nao Hibino, in the second round of Wimbledon.