Newly-crowned Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina on Tuesday dismissed Russian claims that she was its “product” as she received a hero’s welcome in Kazakhstan, which she represented at the tournament.
Russian and Belarusian players were banned from Wimbledon this year after Russia sent troops to Ukraine but Moscow-born Rybakina was able to play as she had switched her allegiance to Kazakhstan in 2018.
At the weekend Russia appeared to claim her Grand Slam success when Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpischev described Rybakina as “our product”.
“It’s very nice! Well done Rybakina! We won the Wimbledon tournament,” Tarpischev said.
