'It’s definitely a pity,' Elena Rybakina laments missed opportunities against Barbora Krejcikova in the Wimbledon semifinal

It’s definitely a pity to lose the match and being so close to the final. But as I said before, I think overall it was a positive two weeks for me. I’ve been playing pretty well the last 4 matches. So I’m happy with the level I’m at now and also how I felt physically on the court. Because the last few months I was struggling a bit. I’m just trying to take only positives from these two weeks. Elena Rybakina said in her post-match press conference

Rybakina was in sensational form coming into the last four of Wimbledon. The 25-year-old had only lost one set in her lead-up to this match. She started strong by winning the first four games of the match before clinching the first set 6-3. However, Krejcikova leveled the proceedings in the second set by breaking in the sixth game.

With the momentum fully on her side, the Czech player eventually capitalized on one poor service game from Rybakina in the seventh game of the deciding set, leading to Krejcikova serving out the match.

Barbora Krejcikova shocks Elena Rybakina to reach first Wimbledon final

Three years after winning the 2021 Roland Garros, Barbora Krejcikova has made it to her second Grand Slam singles final. She achieved this by winning the Wimbledon semifinal against No.4 seed Elena Rybakina. Krejcikova turned the match around, winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in 2 hours and 7 minutes on Centre Court.

The Czech player surprised many with her run to the 2024 Wimbledon final, much like her unexpected 2021 Roland Garros win. This year, injuries have affected her performance. Despite starting the year in the Top 10, she had a 7-9 win-loss record in 2024, including reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals. A back injury in February kept her off the tour for two months, leading to a five-match losing streak and a poor clay season.

Krejcikova’s performance improved significantly at Wimbledon, where she is a two-time doubles champion. She began with a tough first-round win over Veronika Kudermetova. The 31st seed, who started the year 0-4 against Top 20 players, has now won three straight matches against them. She defeated No.11 seed Danielle Collins and No.13 seed Jelena Ostapenko before beating Rybakina, marking her 12th career Top 10 win.

Krejcikova’s journey between her first and second major finals spans 13 Grand Slam tournaments. This is the largest gap since fellow Czech Karolina Pliskova played 18 majors between her 2016 US Open final and her 2021 Wimbledon final.