Advantage, Women's Tennis

Advantage, Women’s Tennis

-Sashank Rajaram

?After thirteen ripping days of women’s tennis, which witnessed some upsets, as well as some major revelations, Ons Jabeur and Elena Rybakina, will walk into the Centre Court on Saturday to compete in the Ladies’ Singles Final 2022 at Wimbledon. Coming off a hard-fought three-set win over her friend and rival Tatjana Maria, Ons Jabeur became the first Tunisian and subsequently, the first African woman to reach a Grand Slam final. Though being overshadowed by World No. 1 Iga ?wi?tek who was on an incredible winning streak, Jabeur has performed exceedingly well after her shock first-round defeat at Roland Garros. She won the Berlin Championship and is currently on an 11-match winning streak herself. Her ability to change her style and game plan from clay to grass – two of the most contrasting surfaces – along with some deft touches and exquisite drop shots has allowed her to dig deep at the SW19. But for her to lay her hands on the Venus Rosewater Dish, she would have to bring out her A-game against Russian-born Kazak player Elena Rybakina.

After a lowkey season which saw her reach just a single quarter-final at the BNP Paribas Open, Rybakina seems to have found her golden touch at the perfect time. Just like Jabeur, she too became the first Kazak player to enter and make it to the finals of a Grand Slam. Her aggressive quality of play has suited her well on grass and has enabled her to dispatch quality stars such as former US Open champion Bianca Andresscu and Petra Martic. It was, however, her semi-final clash with Simona Halep that showcased the raw power she possesses. Her rocketing serves and ruthless groundstrokes simply left Halep, whose serve was under the radar, with no answers.

But on Saturday, it will be Jabeur who will have a 2-1 lead over Rybakina in the H-H meeting. However, the Tunisian’s first serve percentage was abysmally low at 49% during her semi-final clash. With someone as aggressive as Rybakina, she would need to improve that aspect of her game drastically as her opponent on the other side of the net has the record of serving the most aces in the WTA tour (219) since 2019. However, though she might not have the kicking serve, Jabeur has a wider array of shots at her disposal such as her trademark drop shots or the accurate slices that generate high-level topspin. Rybakina, on the other hand, would look to keep her Jabeur at the baseline for as long as possible as the African is quite a formidable net player. In addition, since both players will be playing their first Grand Slam final, it will be interesting to see who will break the early nerves, and that will depend on their mental fortitude and how they handle the immense pressure.

One can't deny the fact that Saturday's final is an enthralling aspect, not just due to the divergent styles – Jabeur with her guile and Rybakina with her blitzing groundstrokes – but to what it holds for the future of Women’s tennis in particular. From traditionally being a western sport, this match carries the potential to advertise tennis to other parts of the world such as Central Asia and more importantly, Africa and the Middle East. Finally, no matter who wins, it would not be wrong to conclude that Jabeur and Rybakina have instilled an impermeable belief among many women that they can also participate, compete, and perhaps even win at the highest level in the world!