Elena Rybakina is living her dream at the Wimbledon Championships 2022. Seeded 17th, the Kazakh tennis star is into her maiden Grand Slam final. Yesterday, she defeated the former World Number 1, Simona Halep, in the semifinals of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament. Further, in a match lasting a little over a quarter and an hour, Rybakina got the better of her Romanian opponent in straight sets.

Rybakina is a Russian-born player who moved to Kazakhstan to pursue her professional tennis career. After her semifinal victory, Rybakina opened up about whether she still felt like a Russian.

Elena Rybakina enjoying her time on the biggest stage

During the post-match press conference after her match against Halep, an interviewer asked Rybakina, “In your heart, do you feel Russian still?” The 23-year-old replied, “What does it mean for you to feel? I mean, I’m playing tennis, so for me, I’m enjoying my time here. I feel for the players who couldn’t come here, but I’m just enjoying playing here on the biggest stage and enjoying my time and trying to do my best.”

READ MORE: ?Quite Disappointing? ? Ajla Tomljanovic Fumes at Media for Questions About Ex-boyfriend Nick Kyrgios After Her Quarterfinal Defeat at Wimbledon Championships 2022

Additionally, she was also asked whether she felt like she was representing Russia at Wimbledon Championships 2022. Answering this question, Rybakina said, “I actually answered these questions yesterday and as I said yesterday, I can repeat it now. I’m playing already for Kazakhstan for a long time and I’m really happy representing Kazakhstan. They believed in me and there is no more question about how I feel. It’s just already a long time, my journey as a Kazakh player and I played Olympics, Fed Cup, so I think I gave an answer also yesterday about this.”

Top Stories

Roger Federer Draws Criticism from Swiss Government Chief for Tourism Boom in Country

Stefanos Tsitsipas Considered Quitting Tennis After Major Personal Setback

Carlos Alcaraz Gets Harsh Reality Check After Father’s Reported Role in Juan Carlos Ferrero Split

45-Year-Old Venus Williams Receives 2026 Australian Open Wildcard Entry

Why Carlos Alcaraz Might Not Win the Australian Open in 2026?

Rybakina sets up a final clash with Ons Jabeur at Wimbledon Championships 2022

In the summit clash of the ongoing grass-court Grand Slam tournament, Rybakina will take on the third seed, Ons Jabeur of Tunisia. The latter had earlier defeated Germany’s Tatjana Maria in a three-set thriller.

WATCH THIS STORY:?Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, and Others In The Greatest Comebacks in Tennis

It’ll be a maiden Grand Slam final appearance for both players.

Who are you backing to lift the Wimbledon 2022 title? Let us know your views in the comments below.