Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, last year’s beaten Wimbledon finalist, made a more than solid start to her Wimbledon campaign with last year’s winner Elena Rybakina having a less smooth opening match but planting her foot firmly in the second round of the draw.
The talk this year has been of three dominant names. Rybakina, Aryna Sabelenka and Iga Swiatek. Notably Jabeur was not included when the names were mentioned.
The Arab star made short work of Poland’s Magdalena Frech with a swift 6-3, 6-3 dispatch in just 76 minutes. Jabeur has won four singles titles on the WTA Tour, as well as 11 singles titles, but has yet to win a Grand Slam event. She was also the runner-up at both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2022, becoming the first Muslim and Arab player (male or female) to reach a Grand Slam final.
With her comes a drive to become the first Arab to win one of the majors, however not being mentioned as one of the three players tipped to win will not be seen as a hindrance. Jabeur has had to overcome more than opinion to get to where she is now.
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Rybakina, too, was quick to point out after her fitful 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over American Shelby Rogers that Wimbledon success rarely comes down to a predictable formula based on form playing on clay and hard court, with a super short runway to land into the grass season.
There are more than three that can win protested the Kazak, not wishing to become part of any nominated cabal placed at the top of the food chain. It was a nervous start for the defending champion. But the first week has always been one where the players’ attitude is to survive, learn and move forward. It has never been any other way.
“I think just from the past results people are saying that. There is still a lot of good players,” said Rybakina. “I think it’s too early to say anything about just three players because it’s not like it was Roger [Federer] or [Novak] Djokovic. It’s still too far. That’s why I don’t really focus on that. Yeah, anyone still can beat anyone.”
Ons, in Arabic meaning a delicate touch or removal or fear, was one of the lucky players to get her match finished with 70 cancellations due to rain. Only the matches on the stadium courts made it through the day with the heavy downpours beginning at lunchtime and continuing into the evening, wiping out everything that was uncovered.
“Yes, I think it was a good start for me,” said Jabeur. “Just I obviously love starting on Court One. It’s amazing. I feel lucky that I played on Court One, especially today.
“I had my matches was cancelled before when I was playing on the small courts. Yeah, again, I feel lucky today that I played on Court One. It’s a shame that the weather is like this.”
Belarusian Sabalenka, one of the names mentioned in the three hot tips, was another one of the lucky players to get finished. She faced Hungary’s Panna Udvardy on Centre Court after Andy Murray had worked the crowd into a lather with a three-set win over compatriot Ryan Peniston.
Sabalenka, the Australian Open winner from earlier this year and US Open winner in 2019, didn’t dawdle against her 24-year-old opponent in their evening meeting, taking just 37 minutes to take the first set 6-3.
The strength of Sabalenka was on offer for all to see, although that will come as no surprise to the rest of the draw. Power on serve and in her ground strokes were too much for Udvardy with the strain showing particularly in the second set, which lasted only 25 minutes.
In the end Sabalenka won 6-3, 6-1 in two minutes past the hour against a player with limited grass court experience. What the 25-year-old from Minsk has in her favour over the next two weeks is motivation from last year. She was one of the players banned from taking part in Wimbledon because of her nationality, a decision that did not go well within the sport and one the All England Club rescinded for this year’s tournament.
