Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Ons Jabeur beats Elena Rybakina in Wimbledon final rematch; women’s semifinals set

Ons Jabeur

Ons Jabeur reacts during the ladies’ quarter-finals match against Elena Rybakina on day ten of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon. Picture date: Wednesday July 12, 2023. (Photo by Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty Images)

PA Images via Getty Images

Ons Jabeur rallied past Elena Rybakina in a reversal of last year’s Wimbledon final to complete this year’s semifinalist field.

Jabeur, the No. 6 seed from Tunisia, beat Rybakina, the No. 3 seed from Kazakhstan 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1.

In last year’s final, Rybakina lost the first set to Jabeur and won in three.

“Last year maybe I wasn’t ready to play this kind of match,” said Jabeur, who made sure to take a different seat on Centre Court than she did for last year’s final. “I don’t regret last year. It happened for a reason. I always say it. It was meant to be this year.”

WIMBLEDON DRAWS: Women | Men

Jabeur gets No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in Thursday’s semifinals.

The other semi pits Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a former world No. 3 returning this year from October childbirth, and 42nd-ranked Czech Marketa Vondrousova.

Earlier Wednesday, Sabalenka beat American Madison Keys 6-2, 6-4 to move one match win from the No. 1 ranking.

Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion from Belarus, wrapped it up by rallying in the second set. The No. 25 seed Keys was up 4-2, 40-love before she lost 12 consecutive points.

If she makes the final, Sabalenka will take the No. 1 ranking from Iga Swiatek of Poland. Sabalenka lost in the 2021 Wimbledon semifinals, then missed last year’s Wimbledon because the tournament excluded all players from Russia and Belarus.

Keys was the last American woman in the draw. U.S. women have gone 13 majors without a singles title, their longest drought in 27 years.