When Serena Williams made her Roland Garros debut in 1998, Elena Rybakina had not yet been born. What the 21-year-old from Kazakhstan lacks in experience, however, she more than makes up for in understated confidence and composure, and she showed nerves of steel to defeat the doyenne of the women’s game 7-5, 6-3 and move into her first grand slam quarter-final.
On paper, Williams will have few better opportunities to end her seemingly interminable wait for the 24th major that would bring her level with Margaret Court’s all-time record. In practice, she knows she will have a far better chance of adding to her tally on the grass courts of Wimbledon. The fact remains, though, that the lower half of the draw had opened up invitingly for the American, who was the highest seed remaining following Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal and the departures of Aryna Sabalenka and Bianca Andreescu.
In truth, Williams rarely looked like a champion in waiting this time around. She ground out victories over Irina-Camelia Begu, Mihaela Buzarnescu and Danielle Collins but was overpowered by Rybakina, who ruthlessly punished the sluggish movement of an opponent whose right leg was once again heavily strapped.
Like Roger Federer, however, who had earlier announced his withdrawal from the tournament, Williams seemed grateful just to have got a few extra matches in before Wimbledon.
“I’m in a much better place than when I got here,” she said. “I was just literally trying to win a match, because it’s been a really difficult season for me on the clay. Although I love the clay, I was, like, if I could just win a match. That’s kind of where I was kind of coming in.”
Williams cut a despairing figure at times, not least when she was deposited on her derrière as she battled in vain to stay on terms. Rybakina, the 21st seed, has yet to drop a set and assumes Williams’ mantle as the highest-ranked player left in the bottom of the draw.
Rybakina will face her doubles partner Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the last eight after the Russian beat 15th seed Victoria Azarenka 5-7, 6-3, 6-2. The winner of that match will face either Tamara Zidansek, who defeated Sorana Cirstea 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, or the 33rd seed Paula Badosa, who notched up a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win over Marketa Vondrousova to continue her fine run of form. Whatever happens, the women’s game will once again have a new grand slam finalist.
Williams, 39, refused to be drawn on whether she had played her final match at Roland Garros. “I’m definitely not thinking about it at all,” she said. “I’m definitely thinking just about other things but not about that.”
For Rybakina, the adventure is just beginning. Her reaction on the final point, as Williams drove a final backhand return long, spoke volumes. There was no cry of exultation, no sinking joyfully to the clay. There was barely even the trace of a smile. She simply walked to the net, head bowed almost deferentially, and shook hands. Even her wave to the crowd seemed vaguely apologetic. The job was done; on to the next task.
Rybakina looked more nervous during her courtside interview with Cedric Pioline than she had during the match, although she insisted otherwise. “I’m so happy with my match today, it was amazing,” she said. “Of course, I was nervous, and in the last game I was not serving as well as before, but I’m just happy that I won.”
On a day of unlikely symmetry, Federer announced his departure from Paris little more than an hour before Williams took to court. Forty-three majors, gone in a trice. Roll on Wimbledon.