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.
Photo credit: AP photo.
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.
The fans made a picture with Elena Rybakina after the match. Photo credit: @tennisoneapp.
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.
