"I don't like it" - Elena Rybakina distances herself from 'favorite' label after reaching 2nd Wimbledon SF with win over Elina Svitolina

Elena Rybakina continued her impressive Wimbledon run with a convincing victory over Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, July 10. The Kazakh, a former champion and the highest-ranked player remaining in this year's tournament is considered a 'favorite'. However, she does not like the label.

Rybakina's grass court preparation was cut short when she had to retire in the quarterfinal of the Ecotrans Ladies Open in Berlin due to an abdominal issues. She has suffered due to illness throughout the season but the Kazakh has been extremely impressive at Wimbledon.

Before entering Centre Court to face Svitolina in the quarterfinal, Rybakina had dropped only one set in the tournament. Against the Ukrainian, she continued her fine form to win the match 6-3, 6-2 in just 61 minutes and advance into her second Wimbledon semifinal.

The fourth seed hit 28 winners in the match and committed 15 unforced errors. She was leading the tour on aces and added seven more in the bag against Svitolina.

Rybakina's phenomenal 19-2 record at Wimbledon helps her join the elite list of women who held a similar record after their first 21 matches at the Grasscourt Slam including Maria Sharapova, Billie Jean King, and Chris Evert. No other woman has won more in their first 21 matches at SW19 in the Open Era.

The Kazakh's fantastic form has labeled her as the favorite to win. During her post-match interview, she was asked how the label sits with her considering most players do not like it.

"I also don’t like it to be honest. I have an aggressive style of game. I have a huge serve. It’s a big advantage. Of course I want to go til the end. Match by match. For now I’m happy with the way I’m going. Looking forward to the next one,” Elena Rybakina said.

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Elena Rybakina will take on Barbora Krejcikova in Wimbledon 2024 SF

Elena Rybakina at The Championships - Wimbledon 2024.

Elena Rybakina will take on Barbora Krejcikova in the semifinals of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. The Czech player got the better of 13th seed Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinals.

Krejcikova, like Rybakina, has only lost one set on her to the final-four stage of the tournament. Krejcikova and Rybakina have faced each other on two previous occasions and the 2021 French Open champion has won both encounters.

Their third encounter is set to take place on Thursday, July 11. On the same day, the other semifinal in the women's singles event will take place between Jasmine Paolini and Donna Vekic. The final will take place on Saturday, July 13.