In her previous two WTA meetings, Elena Rybakina had never defeated Beatriz Haddad Maia. The reigning Wimbledon champion also struggles against left-handers. As a result, the Brazilian’s groundbreaking run at the SW19 was expected to continue with a surprise on Centre Court on Monday evening. But, before either side could gain momentum, a terrible incident occurred in the historic venue, in which Haddad Maia was left in tears before retiring from the round of 16 fight just five games into the match, providing Rybakina with the quarterfinal spot.
Haddad Maia became only the second Brazilian to reach the final 16 of the women’s singles at Wimbledon this week and the first in 47 years, after Maria Bueno in 1976. However, as the 27-year-old was expected to face the defending champion on Centre Court, the Brazilian suffered a back injury.
Haddad Maia stayed there for a couple of minutes after getting broken in her second service game in the opening set, holding her back and grimacing in pain. She had pulled her back. The physio was immediately called to look at the problem before she went off the court for a medical evaluation. The chair umpire then stated that Haddad Maia asked for a medical time-out.
The two had only been in the match for 15 minutes, with Rybakina taking a 3-1 lead before the injury. After a short while, Haddad Maia walked out into the court, hardly able to walk. While it appeared like she would quit the match, she boldly lifted her racket and marched back to her place to resume the game. As Rybakina restarted the proceedings, the audience cheered instantly.
The Kazakh quickly made it 4-1, with the Brazilian unable to return or even attempt to grab for the ball. When it was her turn to serve, she burst into tears. She stepped up to her box and was told not to play before making her way to the umpire to retire. Haddad Maia was in tears before Rybakina, in great sportsmanship, hugged her.
“I hope it’s nothing really serious,” Rybakina stated in an on-court interview after reaching the quarter-finals after 27 minutes on the court. She added, “How I understood, it was just one moment and really unlucky for Beatriz.”