Nerves of a Champion: Elena Rybakina rallies to begin Wimbledon title defense

WATCH: Rybakina "Nervous" Seeing Federer Watch Wimbledon Title Defense Opener

Over the last month, reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina has played less tennis than desired. A viral illness forced her to withdraw from Roland Garros, and it continued to hinder her throughout the grass-court season. Naturally, it had raised questions about how match-tough she’d be.

So with the need for more seasoning in mind, why not launch a title defense by playing two matches on the same day? For that was to a great degree what happened on Centre Court during Rybakina’s 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over American Shelby Rogers.

“It was really tough for me today,” said Rybakina, who also admitted that despite having last left Centre Court having held tennis’ most prestigious trophy, she remained quite nervous out there. “I was not moving that great.”

When I was younger, I was always watching him play. It was really special. Elena Rybakina on Roger Federer

Rybakina noted that despite having last left Centre Court having raised tennis’ most prestigious trophy, she remained quite nervous today. Other distinct circumstances shaped the environment. First, there was a rainstorm and the need to play under the roof. Second, in addition to the customary presence of British royalty—Catherine, Princess of Wales—tennis royalty was also on hand in the form of a special pre-match ceremony that honored eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer.

You’d have to be the latest AI creation to not feel at least a wee bit unnerved knowing and seeing that Federer was paying close attention to your tennis. Said Rybakina, “Yeah, maybe that's why I was nervous because actually I really like Roger. When I was younger, I was always watching him play. It was really special.”

As for her opponent, one ranked 46 spots lower, the 49th-ranked Rogers likely felt boosted by the fact she’d beaten Rybakina the last time they’d played one another. That match too had come on grass, Rogers earning a 6-2, 6-4 victory at s’Hertogenbosch a year ago.

Despite holding a 40-15 lead in the opening game, Rybakina dropped serve. From there, Rogers composed a grass-court master class. Drive after drive went hard and deep. Rogers adroitly peppered Rybakina’s weaker forehand, often with a wide serve in the deuce court and also in many a rally. Serving for the set at 5-4, Rogers played a superb game, closing it out with a crisp ace down the T. In 41 minutes, Rogers had snapped up the first set and was halfway towards becoming the first woman to beat the holder in the first round of The Championships since Lori McNeil had upset Stefanie Graf in 1994.

“I think Shelby, she played really well also first set,” said Rybakina. “She didn't have so many mistakes.”

Then the second match started. Serving at 0-1, 40-15, Rogers unraveled, a lost game marred by double-faults on a pair of ad points. From there, Rybakina seemingly sprinted through one rally after another. So much of what had taken her to the title surfaced: Bullet serves. Laser-like groundstrokes. The metrics tallied up heavily in Rybakina’s favor, most notably in a thorough command of her serve.

Only in the opening game of the match did Rybakina face a break point. In the spirit of such great Wimbledon servers as Federer and Pete Sampras, Rybakina won a staggering 41 of 44 points when she got her first serve in. She also converted five of nine break points on Rogers’ serve.

Across the net, as Rogers began to take in Rybakina’s increased precision, her quality of play dropped. During the last two sets, Rogers began to arrive to the ball much later and lost conviction with her own shots. Those two double-faults were an early symptom of what was to come. In the first set, Rogers won 70 percent of her first serve points and 57 percent on her second. But over the last two sets, the latter figure plummeted to less than 24 percent. And while a past win versus Rybakina was a positive, a potential negative was that Rogers’ three-set record prior to this match was 41-61.

Straightaway you go to this big court. I think for me it's now new chapter and this is something I need to get used and try to maintain my level. Elena Rybakina

Rogers’ last gasp came in the seventh game of the third set. Serving at 2-4, 0-40, Rogers took the next three points, the last with a challenge on a serve that awarded her an ace. But at deuce, Rogers overhit a forehand swing volley, and on the next point double-faulted. From there, Rybakina served out the match at love. The final two sets had only lasted 62 minutes.

“First matches, I think they're always tough I would say, like, mentally to get to the rhythm of the tournament," said Rybakina. "So hopefully the next match is going to be easier.”

Rybakina also admitted she needed to adjust to playing her first match of the tournament on tennis’ most prominent court.

“Of course, just the atmosphere and the attention to be on Centre Court, it's different than the last year, because last year I started on a smaller court,” she said. “With every match I was playing better and better, feeling better. Here it's different. Straightaway you go to this big court. I think for me it's now new chapter and this is something I need to get used and try to maintain my level.”

Surely, it greatly aided Rybakina to have gotten in so much tennis in a single day. On a rain-soaked afternoon at the All England Club, just about all of the other players barely got a single portion of competition. Rybakina got two.