When Ons Jabeur and Elena Rybakina meet in Saturday's Wimbledon final it will be the fifth edition running that a first-time women's champion will go through the wood-panelled revolving-doors of the All England Club.
The fast-paced merry-go-round of champions that has become a feature of the women's game, with Australian holder Ash Barty not even playing anymore, is in stark contrast to the 'same old, same old' of the men's game at Wimbledon for almost two decades. Since 2003, only four men -- Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray -- have lifted the Challenge Cup.
While the Big Four of men's tennis have become accustomed to setting records pretty much every time they step on court, Saturday's women's final will be no less momentous no matter who wins out of Jabeur and Kazakh Rybakina.
One match away from this coming true, @Ons_Jabeur #Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/zqgD3H9AhH
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 8, 2022
Third seed Jabeur, Tunisia's so-called "Minister of Happiness", will be out to lift the spirits of an entire continent as she targets becoming the first African woman, as well as the first Arab, to win a Grand Slam title.
She already has vivid visions of what that moment will be like. "A lot of times I imagined myself giving a good speech, holding the trophy, seeing the trophy," said world number two Jabeur on the eve of a showdown that will feature two first-time Grand Slam finalists for the first time since 1962.
Jabeur's face is already plastered on giant billboards all over Tunisia and, with the final taking place as the country celebrates Eid ul-Adha, she hopes to make July 9 2022 a day to remember as she aims to bamboozle Rybakina with an abundance of "slices and drop shots" that she knows "annoys a lot of people".
"I want to go bigger, inspire many more generations. Tunisia is connected to the Arab world, is connected to the African continent. We want to see more players," said the trailblazer. "It's not like Europe or any other countries. I want to see more players from my country, from the Middle East, from Africa.
"It's amazing to really inspire the new generation. Just to show that nothing is impossible."
Still thinking about this incredible @Ons_Jabeur winner #Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/1aipfdTb72
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 8, 2022
Rybakina also believes in the "nothing is impossible" mantra as the Russian-born 23-year-old bids to become the first Kazakh to win a singles major. The big-hitter struck 144 winners, including 49 aces, as she flattened six opponents, including Grand Slam champions Bianca Andreescu and Simona Halep, to reach the final.
Check the live streaming details of the match here:
Elena Rybakina vs Ons Jabeur Wimbledon 2022 women's final will take place from earliest at 6:30 PM IST (2:00 PM local time) on Saturday, July 9.
Elena Rybakina vs Ons Jabeur Wimbledon 2022 women's final take place on Centre Court at Wimbledon, London, UK.
Elena Rybakina vs Ons Jabeur Wimbledon 2022 women's final will be broadcasted on Star Sports Network - Star Sports Select 1 HD or Star Sports Select 2 HD.
Elena Rybakina vs Ons Jabeur Wimbledon 2022 women's final will be livestreamed on Disney+Hotstar in India
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