On a sun-drenched afternoon at the All England Club, July 3, 2025, Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, delivered a masterclass in grass-court tennis, dismantling former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 victory to secure her place in the third round of the Wimbledon Championships. The 11th seed, whose graceful power and pinpoint accuracy have made her a fan favorite on the hallowed lawns of SW19, barely broke a sweat in a match that underscored her status as a formidable title contender.
Rybakina’s performance on Court One was a clinic in controlled aggression, as she leveraged her booming serve and relentless baseline game to overwhelm Sakkari. The match began with a gift for Rybakina, as Sakkari faltered in the opening game, serving three consecutive double faults to hand the Kazakhstani an early break. From there, Rybakina never looked back, wrapping up the first set with minimal fuss in front of a lively, if sparse, crowd. “I think I was playing well on the baseline,” Rybakina reflected post-match, acknowledging her near-flawless shot-making. Her six aces and 90% first-serve win rate underscored her dominance, though she admitted to struggling with her second serve, winning only 54% of those points. “I was struggling a little bit with the serve in the first set, and she broke me in the first game of the second set. I also had two double faults. A bit of a struggle there, but overall I found my rhythm on the serve and I played pretty confident.”
The second set saw a brief flicker of resistance from Sakkari, who managed to break Rybakina’s serve in the opening game. But the 26-year-old Greek, who has never advanced beyond the third round at Wimbledon, couldn’t sustain the momentum. Rybakina responded immediately, breaking back and then breaking to love for a 3-1 lead. From there, she dismantled Sakkari’s game with surgical precision, her groundstrokes finding angles that left her opponent scrambling. A final backhand error from Sakkari on match point sealed her fate, and Rybakina celebrated with her trademark muted composure, already looking ahead to her next challenge. “Hopefully I can do better in the next match,” she said, her focus firmly on the road ahead.
Rybakina’s victory adds to her remarkable 21-3 win-loss record at Wimbledon, a testament to her affinity for grass courts. Her powerful serve, often compared to Novak Djokovic’s for its speed and placement, and her aggressive baseline play make her a natural fit for the surface. This season, despite slipping to world No. 11 after a mid-year dip, Rybakina has shown signs of a resurgence. Her title win in Strasbourg in May, where she outlasted Liudmila Samsonova in a grueling three-set final, signaled a return to form. She also pushed world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to the limit in a thrilling Berlin quarterfinal, holding four match points before falling in a third-set tiebreak. Her 2025 Grand Slam record stands at an impressive 8-2, with fourth-round appearances at both the Australian and French Opens.
Sakkari, meanwhile, continues to search for consistency. Despite her undeniable talent and athleticism, the Greek star has struggled to replicate her past highs this season, with her best result being a quarterfinal in Linz. Her six double faults and inability to counter Rybakina’s power highlighted the gap between the two players on the day. Rybakina, by contrast, converted four of six break points, showcasing her ability to seize opportunities.
As Rybakina advances, she awaits either Denmark’s 23rd-seeded Clara Tauson or Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya in the third round. With the women’s draw wide open after the early exits of top seeds like Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini, Rybakina’s path to a second Wimbledon title looks increasingly promising. Her performance against Sakkari was a reminder of why many, including tennis legend Martina Navratilova, consider her a top contender. “Rybakina’s game is tailor-made for the grass,” Navratilova noted, praising her seamless blend of power and precision. For now, the 26-year-old remains focused on the present, taking each match as it comes in her quest to reclaim the Venus Rosewater Dish.
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