'It's Still Far': Rybakina Unbothered By Favorite Tag At Wimbledon After Other Favorites Fall

Tuesday, 09 July 2024 at 02:46

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byZachary Wimer

Elena Rybakina is the highest-ranked player remaining in the 2024 Wimbledon Championships ladies' draw, but that doesn't seem to be bothering her.

Rybakina won her maiden Grand Slam trophy at Wimbledon in 2022, beating Ons Jabeur in the final. She has played one Grand Slam final since then but failed to win it, so her win from SW19 is still her only major triumph.

Right now, she's likely the biggest favorite to win this year's Wimbledon after some of her biggest rivals already crashed out of the event. The World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is out of the tournament, and Ons Jabeur, who played in the last two Wimbledon finals, is out of the tournament as well.

This year's Australian Open champion, Aryna Sabalenka, withdrew from the tournament prior to its start, and Coco Gauff lost in the fourth round, so Rybakina remains the highest-ranked player left in the draw.

After advancing to the quarter-final, the Kazakhstani player was asked whether she felt any pressure, considering that she was the highest-ranked player remaining in the draw.

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"I don’t feel pressure. I think every opponent is difficult. I know I need to always bring my best. That’s what I’m trying to do every match. I’m just really enjoying every time I step on the court. I’m happy I’m going far in the draw. Hopefully, I can go til the end."

During the press conference, Rybakina was further asked about her favorite status, and she once again admitted that she doesn't really think about rankings and previous results. She's three matches away from the trophy, and getting there will require her to beat some good players.

"Well I don’t really think about this when I go on the court. Of course it gives more confidence but no matter what, there are still a lot of good players. I don’t really think about it so much. It feels good of course if people think so (smiling)."

"It’s still far to go to the final. Still a lot of matches in front. As I always say, it’s just match by match and we will see how it goes. Definitely I want to go far and try to win it."