Elena Rybakina feels like she’s ‘not the Wimbledon champion,’ says life as champion ‘not the greatest’
Elena Rybakina feels like she’s not the Wimbledon champion, and says life as champion is ‘not the greatest.’ She’s been to the Wimbledon final and lost to Serena Williams. There’s more to life, though, and she doesn’t believe her experience to have been that of a tragedy.
In an interview with the Washington Post, Rybakina, 33, said she was a victim of circumstance. She was “unable to cope” with life as a tennis player. So she took a break from tennis.
She returned a few years later for the 2014 U.S. Open, “which was a very big move,” said Rybakina, who lost to Serena Williams in the semifinals. “I had to move on,” she said in the interview.
Rena Williams celebrates her 5-3, 7-6 (2), 6-1. (Photo: AP)
“That experience taught me that life is not just about tennis,” she added. “I didn’t understand that.”
Rena Williams and Rybakina won the 2017 Australian Open, and both competed for the U.S. in China. They won their first Grand Slam doubles titles, in their 14th Grand Slam doubles tournament, together on Jan. 7.
“To be a champion, to be a role model for other women to look up to, that’s very meaningful for me,” said Rybakina.
She was on a roll. Rybakina had captured her first Grand Slam singles title at the 2017 Australian Open. She also won the mixed doubles title at the Australian Open with partner Laura Robson. The two then were the most successful pair at