Elena Rybakina officially represented Kazakhstan when she won the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, but that has not stopped the president of the Russian Tennis Federation from trying to claim her success as their own.
Rybakina became the first Kazakhstani to win a Grand Slam title after defeating Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the final at SW19. It was a historic final since Jabeur would have become the first African to win Wimbledon if she had triumphed.
The Wimbledon champion was born in Moscow, Russia, but she started representing Kazakhstan in 2018. That is an extended period, making it clear Kazakhstan has played a more significant role in her development as a professional player than Russia.
Despite this, Rybakina's previous links to Russia mean she is asked questions similar to those of Russian athletes. The most obvious example is the 23-year-old being queried on multiple occasions about Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Rybakina has always made it clear she represents Kazakhstan in the sporting arena. She credits the Central Asian country for believing in her and said being one of their representatives at the Olympics was a dream come true.
"I'm playing for Kazakhstan a very long time. I represent them on the biggest tournaments, Olympics, which was a dream come true. I didn't choose where I was born. People believed in me. Kazakhstan supported me so much. Even today I heard so much support. I saw the flags. So I don't know how to answer these questions."
However, Rybakina's comments did not stop Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpishchev from claiming her success as his and Russia's. He used the term "we" when discussing Rybakina's title triumph.
"It's very nice! Well done Rybakina! We win the Wimbledon tournament."
This is simply misinformation from Tarpishchev. Although Rybakina still has strong links to the country of her birth, including family members who live there, she has clearly stated that she represents Kazakhstan as a tennis player.
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