Big surprise at Wimbledon: Mertens eliminates Rybakina

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Elise Mertens has just produced one of the biggest surprises of the first week of Wimbledon 2026. The Belgian tennis player has showcased her best tennis to eliminate Elena Rybakina with a score of 7-6(4) 6-1 in 1 hour and 35 minutes of play, shattering the dream of the Kazakh player of seizing the number 1 spot from Aryna Sabalenka.

The first set was a crazy affair with constant plot twists, where Mertens had a break advantage on two occasions, but Rybakina fought back to stay alive. However, the Belgian player delivered a great tiebreak to take the lead on the scoreboard. From that point on came the downfall of the number 2 in the WTA rankings, who lost confidence in all her shots and dropped her serve twice, handing Mertens the ticket to the round of 16.

Rybakina loses her chance to snatch the number 1 ranking from Sabalenka at Wimbledon

It's worth noting that Rybakina won Wimbledon in 2022, but since then she hasn't been able to replicate her best form at the All England Club. Last year, she also exited in the third round, and this year she has once again shown that her grass court level is far from what it used to be. This defeat is surprising considering her form after winning the Australian Open, but her grass court results hinted at a potential catastrophe.

In the WTA Queen's, she was eliminated in the second round, and in the WTA Berlin, she exited in the first round, a predictable outcome. The positive aspect for her is that she doesn't lose any points compared to last year, unlike Sabalenka who might drop points if she fails to reach the semifinals. Thus, she could keep closing in on the rankings, already focusing on the hard court season that will kick off the second part of the season.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sorpresón en Wimbledon: Mertens elimina a Rybakina