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Will Russia Try to Politicize Elena Rybakina’s Wimbledon Win?

WIMBLEDON, England — Winning Wimbledon for the first time barely seemed to register with Elena Rybakina.

Match point secured against Ons Jabeur, Rybakina lightly clenched her left fist, wiped her mouth with her wrist band, expelled a breath and sauntered forward to the net to shake the hand of a crestfallen Jabeur, then waved to the crowd with as much urgency as Queen Elizabeth waving to the hoi polloi out the window of her carriage.

Rybakina was smiling, to be sure, after her victory, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, but for a 23-year-old player whose career had just been transformed by a stunning run to the title this was understated stuff even by English standards.