Wimbledon champ Elena Rybakina captures Italian Open crown for fifth career title
Rybakina won her second WTA 1000 after claiming Indian Wells earlier this season. She beat surprise finalist Anhelina Kalinina, who retired in the second set due to injury.
Tennis
Add Elena Rybakina's name to the list of favourites for tennis' second major of the year at Roland-Garros later this month.
The reigning Wimbledon champion captured her biggest career title on red clay, winning the Italian Open on Saturday (20 May) in a rain-delayed women's final. She beat Anhelina Kalinina, the surprise of the week, 6-4 1-0, retired.
Kalinina, the world No. 47 from Ukraine, stopped play in the second game of the second set due to a left leg injury.
Kazakhstan's Rybakina won a WTA 1000 event earlier this year in Indian Wells, beating Aryna Sabalenka after she had lost to Sabalenka in the Australian Open final in January.
It's a third big title for Rybakina in 10 months, having won her maiden major at Wimbledon last July. She rises to a career-high world No. 5 ranking with the victory, and will be among the favourites when the French Open kicks off next Sunday (28 May) in Paris.
The rain-delayed final, which finished around midnight local time, was a 28th win of 2023 for Rybakina, second behind Sabalenka for match wins this season (29).
Rybakina had beaten two-time and reigning French champ Iga Swiatek, the world No.1, in her semi-final, that match ending due to injury, as well.