Twelve months ago Elena Rybakina walked on to Centre Court with the air of the quietest girl at school – which is to say, not much air at all. Taking on her charismatic opposite, the ebullient Ons Jabeur, it was the low-key Rybakina who prevailed to lift the Venus Rosewater dish, with a big smile and a small fist pump.
On the opening day of this tournament’s second week, Rybakina remained in contention to defend her title after a rout of Britain’s Katie Boulter had sent her into the fourth round to face the thirteenth seed, Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Haddad Maia may have started as the underdog but the Brazilian had a shot. She had beaten Rybakina in their only two previous matches, both of which had taken place earlier this year. As it was, a devastating and seemingly abrupt back injury meant Haddad Maia barely had the chance to try for a third triumph, as she retired trailing 1-4 and a break down in the first set.
Rybakina’s thumping serve had allowed her to make a strong start – she won 85% of points behind her first serve this past week, and an opening ace after winning the coin toss seemed to be a sign of what would be an intense and competitive match on a sunny, but breezy day; the Kazakhstani player’s long plait swinging as freely as her forehand motion.
But Haddad Maia is no slouch on the green – last year she won back-to-back grass titles at Nottingham and Birmingham, and she stayed on par until a scuffed backhand into the tramlines in the fourth game brought up a break point. A netted backhand gave Rybakina the break, but Haddad Maia immediately called the physio, grimacing and holding her lower back before gingerly making her way off court for a medical timeout.
On her return Haddad Maia gamely tried to continue, but she could barely rotate or move and the tears began to flow as Rybakina served out a 40-0 game. Now openly weeping, Haddad Maia, who became her country’s first woman to reach a grand slam semi-final in the Open era at Roland Garros, limped to the net where she was consoled by a sympathetic Rybakina and a loudly applauding crowd.
“It’s never easy to finish a match like that. It just seemed one moment and it’s just really unlucky for Beatriz. I am just happy to play another round,” Rybakina said afterwards.
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In her quarter-final, she will face either a rematch against Jabeur – her opponent in last year’s final – or Petra Kvitova, a fellow former Wimbledon champ; those two will play their fourth-round match later in the day.