Ons Jabeur's final loss to Jelena Rybakina at Wimbledon: Loved, Brilliant, Beaten

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Ons Jabeur's show on Center Court was not enough to win the title

Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP

Show with brains:

Ons Jabeur is an entertainer.

The Tunisian, the first African in a Grand Slam final, also demonstrated in this Wimbledon final that she can entertain the audience well.

Jumping volleys in front of the net alternated with countless stop balls without starting.

In the second set, when the point had already been played, she headed a ball in a high arc over 20 meters to a ball child.

Then again she threw her racket high in the air with her right hand and caught it coolly with her left.

She also attempted the difficult "tweener," the backward kick through the legs.

Jabeur, who once referred to herself here as the "minister of happiness," sometimes exaggerated the trickery.

Her opponent often had the better answer to her shenanigans early in the second set.

The result:

Jelena Rybakina surprisingly won the Wimbledon final against Ons Jabeur.

The Kasashin, who competed for Russia for four years, won against the favored world number two Jabeur 3: 6, 6: 2 and 6: 2.

For the 23-year-old from Moscow it is the first title in one of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

Here is the notification.

Mistakes in the system:

Rybakina made a lot of mistakes, especially in the first set.

Her last service game serves as proof of this: When the score was 3: 5 against herself, she made four so-called "unforced errors", the particularly painful mistakes in tennis because they were her own fault.

The 23-year-old gave Jabeur practically the first set.

Their punches landed behind the opponent's baseline in rows.

And whenever you thought a longer rally could finally develop, the rally was interrupted by the felt ball slapping the lower edge of the net.

Where's the serve?

There's the serve!

Rybkina had produced 49 aces on her way to the Wimbledon final.

But her best shot remained ineffective for a long time in the endgame.

The service was often too long and ended up just behind the T-line.

The second serve was too weak and was attacked directly by Jabeur.

The picture changed completely in the second set.

The number 23 in the women's world rankings repeatedly built up her points over the first serve.

It is also significant that Rybakina ended the second set with an ace.

Three more were added during the match.

Her fastest serve this Saturday afternoon had a speed of 196 kilometers per hour.

Only Coco Gauff has served faster in this tournament (199.5).

Lots of love from the crowd

: Jabeur looked dejected as she quickly fell 2-0 down in the third and deciding set.

Her eyes went more and more desperately in the direction of her box to trainer and husband Karim Kamoun.

The audience on Center Court showed a fine instinct and cheered up the Tunisian at just the right moment.

Great applause erupted before her service game.

The fans wanted to get the popular Jabeur back into the match.

That worked for the moment. The 27-year-old won the game and reduced it to 1:2.

It got louder again on Center Court.

But shortly thereafter, Rybakina reemerged as a relentless show-crasher.

Just as well:

it was still there, the chance for Jabeur to make a comeback in this match.

In the decisive third set and with a score of 2: 3 against himself, the 27-year-old suddenly had three breakballs.

Jabeur conjured up two stop balls just behind the net.

But Rybakina withstood the pressure.

That was impressive.

With hard forehand whips placed in the corner, she freed herself from this difficult situation and was able to fully rely on her serve.

Winning the game to 4:2 was the preliminary decision in this match.

After that, Jabeur was no longer mentally able to resist the impending defeat again.

Emotional and yet sober:

When Duchess Kate, Prince William's wife, went up in the Royal Box and shortly before 4 p.m. local time in her bright yellow dress to the award ceremony down on Center Court, the pictures there could hardly have been more different .

Jabeur sat in her chair and lowered her head low towards her lap.

The winner was already on her way through the crowd to her box.

Rybakina was accompanied by a friendly but by no means effusive cheer.

This continued with the presentation of the winner's trophy.

There has seldom been a more sober celebration in the history of Wimbledon.

Out with applause:

the majority, it was felt, wanted to see Jabeur as the winner.

Afterwards she was touched during her little speech: "I'm really sad, but it's tennis - there's only one winner.

I'm just trying to continue to inspire many generations from my country, I hope they'll listen.” Big applause erupted one last time.

The Tunisian, who is a great role model for many athletes in the Arab world, left the stage.