ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Wimbledon Champion and World No. 7 Elena Rybakina, 23, made it to the finals at the Miami Open by beating World No. 3 Jessica Pegula of the United States 7:6 (3), 6:4 at Hard Rock Stadium on March 31.
Rybakina became the first female player to achieve Serena Williams’ record serving more than ten aces in four matches of the same tournament.
For Kazakhstan’s highest-ranked tennis player, this was the 13th straight match-win of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 2023 tennis season.
Rybakina’s fans also appreciated her decision in a rain-disrupted match to hold an umbrella on her own during a break.
“My queen does not even bother ball kids to hold an umbrella for her,” said one of her fans.
“One of the reasons I have come to Rybakina (besides being immensely talented and beautiful) is her humble and down-to-earth nature. Here she is choosing to hold her own umbrella instead of a ball boy or girl holding it. Something you rarely, if ever, see in tennis,” wrote Rybakina’s fans on Twitter.
In the Miami Open final on April 1, Rybakina will face the match winner between Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic and Sorana Cirstea of Romania.