WIMBLEDON, England—Between the Nick Kyrgios show and Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal from the tournament, there have been plenty of headlines on the men’s side of the Wimbledon draw. Unfortunately, it has likely obscured two rich stories on the women’s side.
For the first time since 1962, two women making their first appearance in a Grand Slam final will meet, a result of another draw not held to form.
No. 3 Ons Jabeur and No. 17 Elena Rybakina have summoned their best tennis and bring rich and compelling backstories into Saturday’s women’s singles final. They present a contrast of styles we like to see in athletes on their biggest stage.
These players are not no-names on the tour. And for as much grief the women’s game sometimes gets for this parity, especially pitted against the steady excellence of the Big Three, it’s easy to see this matchup as a virtue.
Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press
A few months ago, Jabeur entered the French Open as an early favorite, only to lose against Magda Linette in the first round. She later called it a disguised blessing, one that has helped her during grass-court season, especially here at Wimbledon. Jabeur, the first Arab and African woman to reach this stage of a Slam, plays witty tennis—almost using her racquet as a wand and preferring sharp angles and drop shots over power.
Jabeur, 27, became a heavy favorite after Iga Swiatek was ousted in the third round and has made good on that prediction. She has closed out tight matches and has dropped only two sets so far over the fortnight. She has won the press conference sessions, as well. When asked earlier this week about Boris Johnson’s resignation as U.K. Prime Minister, she quipped, “I don’t really know, but I am the Minister of Happiness.” It will go down as one of the all-time greatest quotes.
If Jabeur wins, it’s hard seeing her as a one-hit wonder, and her personal story will resonate beyond sports.
“I want to go bigger, inspire many more generation(s),” Jabeur told reporters this week. “Tunisia is connected to the Arab world, is connected to the African continent. ... I want to see more players from my country, from the Middle East, from Africa.”
Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press
On the other side of the net is the 23-year-old Rybakina, who is all power on the court. Honing a big serve and standing half a foot taller than Jabeur, she is the WTA Tour’s ace leader so far this year. Off the court, she is much more difficult to know, in no small part because of matters of nationality. Born in Moscow, she still trains and resides there. However four years ago, she received funding from the Kazakhstan federation and changed her nationality. It’s hard to begrudge her of that decision, but it does complicate matters when you have Russian players who are banned from this tournament because of their country’s continuing conflict in Ukraine.
The notion that a player who is Russian in every respect except for their passport might hoist the trophy here has been, at minimum, a complication for this event. For her part, Rybakina has been very diplomatic on the issue, deferring any questions seeking more clarity about her nationality and loyalties.
“I feel for the players who couldn’t come here,” Rybakina recently said, “but I’m just enjoying playing here on the biggest stage, enjoying my time and trying to do my best.”
Prediction
This will ultimately come down to managing the moment, more than Xs and Os, in a career-changing moment for both players. It will be Jabeur in three sets, a jumping off point to further greatness.
