Elina Svitolina wore a black ribbon and broke down in tears as she reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Monday, just hours after a Russian missile strike killed 36 people and severely damaged a children’s hospital in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian tennis player expressed her hope that her victory could provide “a small light” in the wake of the attack, which the French foreign ministry condemned as “barbaric.”
Svitolina’s black ribbon was prominently displayed on her white shirt as she secured a straight-sets win over China’s Wang Xinyu.
At Wimbledon, Ukrainian tennis pro, Elina Svitolina holds back tears, referring to Russian savages having just blown up the children's hospital in Kyiv. pic.twitter.com/gKLtrRxp4b
— Jay in Kyiv (@JayinKyiv) July 8, 2024
Wimbledon Quarterfinal Preview: Can Svitolina Overcome the Red-Hot Rybakina?
“I’m probably more confident and more mature on the court this tournament, especially,” Ostapenko said Monday after advancing to the quarterfinals for the third time. “I kind of know what I have to do, and I’m doing it quite well, especially in deciding moments.
“I’m just doing the things I did before, like when I won the [2017] French Open and was back in the top 10. I feel like I’m doing those things better than before.”
She’s not alone.
Wednesday’s two quarterfinal matches from the top half of the draw feature three former Grand Slam singles champions, all eager for their second major title. Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon winner, 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, and Ostapenko are joined by Elina Svitolina, who is looking to become a three-time semifinalist at the All England Club.
The Case for Rybakina
The 25-year-old from Kazakhstan, Elena Rybakina, stands out as the only player left in the draw who has previously reached a Wimbledon final. Boasting an impressive 18-2 career record at the tournament, Rybakina’s success rate matches that of some of tennis’ greatest names.
This translates to an exceptional 90% success rate, a feat previously achieved only by legends like Ann Jones and Steffi Graf.
“I didn’t know about these stats,” Rybakina said after winning 6-3, 3-0 via Anna Kalinskaya’s retirement. “I know I’ve been winning a lot on grass. It’s nice to be next to these names with these statistics.”
The most crucial statistic on Wimbledon’s slick grass courts is aces, and Rybakina has already tallied 24, including seven in six service games against Kalinskaya. She has also won 84% of her first-serve points.
Several factors favor Rybakina despite her 2-2 head-to-head record with Svitolina. Rybakina won their most recent encounter, a Round of 16 match at Roland Garros, and their only grass-court meeting in straight sets (2021 Eastbourne).
Rybakina has been solid, dropping just one set to Laura Siegemund. She attributes her current maturity to the experience she gained since winning the title two years ago.
11 – In the last 10 years, only Serena Williams (16) and Simona Halep (13) have made more Women's Singles Grand Slam quarter-finals than Elina Svitolina (11). Consistent.#Wimbledon | @Wimbledon @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/VCCr3qcTIC
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) July 8, 2024
“I’ve definitely changed a lot,” Rybakina said. “I got much more experience. If I’m nervous, it’s just the first few games, unlike in 2022 when I played the final against Ons Jabeur and was nervous for the entire first set.”
Facing Svitolina, Rybakina acknowledged, “It’s not going to be easy. But if I play aggressively and serve well, I have all the chances to win, of court
The Case for Svitolina
On Monday, Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina woke up to the tragic news that her country’s largest children’s hospital had been hit by a Russian missile, injuring 16 people, including seven children. Despite this, Svitolina made it to the quarterfinals by defeating Wang Xinyu in just 55 minutes, with a score of 6-2, 6-1.
Wearing a small black ribbon on her chest in honor of the victims, Svitolina described her emotional state: “Since this morning, I felt like I was in a fog with my thoughts and feelings. I was very calm and straightforward about what I needed to do on the court.”
11 – In the last 10 years, only Serena Williams (16) and Simona Halep (13) have made more Women's Singles Grand Slam quarter-finals than Elina Svitolina (11). Consistent.#Wimbledon | @Wimbledon @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/VCCr3qcTIC
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) July 8, 2024
Svitolina, the No. 21 seed, had already overcome a challenging first-round match against Magda Linette. After prevailing in three sets, she won her next matches against Jule Niemeier, No. 10 seed Ons Jabeur, and Wang Xinyu without dropping a set.
Against Rybakina, Svitolina will need to remain focused and use her defensive skills to keep the ball in play. She aims to disrupt Rybakina’s rhythm with varied shots, including slices and looping forehands.
“She’s been hitting and going big for her shots,” Svitolina noted. “I will try to make her feel uncomfortable. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day spirit-wise. I will work on the strategies I need against her and go from there.”
