It’s the Wimbledon final no-one wanted. But it’s still a Wimbledon final

Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina would’ve been the international sports yarn of the year if she won Wimbledon. Story’s over. Marketa Vondrousova and Ona Jabeur will face off in the unlikeliest final at The All England Club.

Ons Jabeur of Tunisia celebrates victory against Aryna Sabalenka. Picture: Getty Images.

This just in from Ukraine.

Kyiv is weeping from three consecutive night of Russian air strikes. Iranian-made Shahed drones bombed the capital as the Kremlin reacted with hostility to the outcome of the NATO summit, calling the Group of Seven countries’ pledge of security guarantees for Ukraine a “very dangerous mistake,” likely forcing a response deploying “all means and methods at our disposal.” Since Putin’s invasion last February, about 150,000 Ukrainians are dead. Millions have been wounded and/or displaced.

Meanwhile, a tennis player called Elina Svitolina has been going all right at a tennis tournament called Wimbledon. What could be less important? It’s not as if the player previously more famous for being Gael Monfils’ missus has been shooting Russian drones out of the sky and helping Ukraine babushkas to the border.

And yet sport is the great escape from the cerebral prison and physical entrapment of hideous war and Svitolina was on her way to being the international sports yarn of the year. Her passionate, flag-waving run through the most prestigious tournament in tennis could have been played out in Shakespeare’s Globe … until she ran out of puff against Czech Marketa Vondrousova in the semi-finals.

There’s no suggestion here of Svitolina bombing out, but she saved her worst performance for last to leave Wimbledon with a final no-one saw coming: Vondrousova versus Ons Jabeur. The Wimbledon final no-one wanted?

Perhaps. But it’s still a Wimbledon final. Which means it still overflows with prestige. At least two people wanted it, dreamt of it, worked their lives for it. Vondrousova and Jabeur. We mus respect that and them.

Barrack for the yarn. It’s what sports writers do. We don’t really care who wins or loses, we just barrack for the yarn. Nothing at The All-England Club was more soul-stirring than the prospect of Svitolina lifting the trophy with a Ukraine flag around her shoulders and Volodymyr Zelensky in her heart. Not to be. All too much.

The ambassador to Ukraine for the UK was in the crowd, as were Ukrainians who fled to London because of the war, and she was overwhelmed by the story she was trying to write. She played like she had writer’s block. She losing 6-3 6-3 to Vondrousova before Jabeur beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-3.

“Had to deal with the situation maybe a bit better,” Svitolina said. “It’s a lot of responsibility. A lot of tension. I tried to balance it as much as I can. But yeah, sometimes it gets maybe too much. I don’t want to take it as an excuse that I lost. I tried to take it as a motivation for me. I just hope that Ukrainian people continue supporting me. It was really amazing and I just hope that I’m going to get another chance.”

Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina acknowledges the Centre Court crowd after losing her semi-final. Picture: AFP.

This just in from London. Journalists are weeping into their laptops from the yarn of the year going up in smoke. And yet the sporting world rolls on. There’s a decent yarn in Jabeur. The Tunisian will become the first Arab to win a major if she slays Vondrousova and the demons of the shocker she had in losing last year’s Wimbledon final to Elena Rybakina. This is the same bat time and the same bat channel for Jabeur. She’s the favourite to win her first major title, but favouritism invariably does her head in.

“It’s a different player,” she said. “I’m working on myself like crazy. You have no idea what I’m doing. I’m very tough with myself. Try to improve everything. Very impatient sometimes, which is not good. I’ve had injuries and maybe they did slow me down and teach me to be patient and accept what’s going on. I’ve always believed in the mental. In working on it. That’s what I’ve been doing since I was maybe 10 years old because I know even if you are not ready physically, mentally you can still win.”

Jabeur was down a set and a break against Sabalenka. She told herself, “don’t give a shit,” and won. She reached last year’s US Open final, too, but again played poorly in a comprehensive defeat to Iga Swiatek. Both performances left her weeping into her husband’s shoulder. She’s drawing on experience but those experiences have been nightmarish.

“I’m definitely getting closer to winning the grand slam that I always wished for,” she said. “I would say I always believed but sometimes you question and doubt if it’s ever going to happen. Being in the last stages a couple of times now, I think it does help you believe more. You know you are getting close. I’m going to learn a lot from not only the Wimbledon final but also the US Open. Maybe it’s all about trying two times and getting it right the third time. Let’s see.”

Vondrousova is the mercurial lefty beaten by Australia’s Ash Barty in the 2019 French Open final. Oh, Barty! She could have won half-a-dozen majors by now. She’d be eating these women for breakfast. Vondrousova missed last year’s Wimbledon because of wrist surgery but she was in London anyway, with her wrist in a cast, watching her friend and doubles partner, Miriam Kolodziejova, play qualifying at Roehampton. Then she wandered around The All England Club and the English capital as a glorified spectator and tourist.

Now she’s in the final. This just in from Prague. It’s not a bad yarn for the good journos of the Blesk newspaper.

“To be doing it here on grass, it seems almost impossible,” Vondrousova said. “I didn’t play many matches on grass before. My best before this year was second round. When it was clay or hardcourt, maybe I would say this is possible. But grass was impossible for me. I was here last year for Miriam. We’re best friends …

“ It was very tough. That’s why I’m just so grateful to be here. It’s crazy that this is happening.”