Champion Rybakina under the radar ahead of Wimbledon

Elena Rybakina will not be shouting her odds from the rooftops as she prepares for the defence of her Wimbledon title, that is just not…

Elena Rybakina will not be shouting her odds from the rooftops as she prepares for the defence of her Wimbledon title, that is just not the Moscow-born 24-year-old’s style.

Rybakina prefers to let her potent strokes do the talking, just as she did last year when marching to a surprise title after a sensational fortnight in London.

The Kazakhstan player’s ‘celebration’ after her defeat of Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the final was so low key that it could have been a first round match at a routine WTA event.

Her calm response perhaps helped her prevent the kind of let-down players often experience after claiming a first Grand Slam title and she has backed it up impressively.

• Benue gov’t to relocate IDPs to ancestral homes – Speaker
• ‘I’ve spent 20 years fixing potholes pro bono’

Yet despite being the third-ranked player in the world, and having reached the Australian Open final this year as well as title runs at Indian Wells and Rome, Rybakina will saunter into Wimbledon with little fanfare.

While much of the focus is understandably on top seed Iga Swiatek and No 2 Aryna Sabalenka, as well as the likes of Coco Gauff and Jabeur, Rybakina will quietly go about her business when she opens play on Centre Court on Tuesday.

Her clean ball striking and silky movement are ideally suited to Wimbledon’s lawns while her serve is the weapon that took her all the way to the title last year.

There are some concerns, however.

She was bothered by a virus at the Roland Garros, having to pull out before her third-round match, and withdrew from this week’s Eastbourne championships, raising questions about her fitness and form ahead of Wimbledon.