World No. 87 Magdalena Rybarikova is into the Wimbledon semifinals following a 6-3, 6-3 victory over American CoCo Vandeweghe on Tuesday. This comes just five days after she rocked the women’s draw by beating No. 3 seed and tournament favorite Karolina Pliskova, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Here are five fast facts to know about this Slovak on her road to Wimbledon glory:
- Rybarikova came into Wimbledon on the heels of a strong grass-court season. Of the 15 matches she played on grass, she secured 14 wins and claimed two grass Challenger titles, in Ilkley and Surbiton, and made the semifinals at the Aegon Open in Nottingham.
- Wimbledon marks Rybarikova’s second Grand Slam tournament appearance of the year, after injuries to her right knee and left wrist sidelined her for seven months. In mid-March, she returned to the circuit ranked No. 453. In the four months since her return, Rybarikova climbed the ranks and broke into the WTA Top 100.
- Prior to this fortnight, Rybarikova had never advanced to the second week of a Grand Slam tournament before. Her previous best showing was the third round of the US Open in 2008 and 2009, and the third round at Wimbledon in 2015.
- Rybarikova’s victory over Pliskova was her first win over a Top 10 player this year and the seventh such win throughout her career.
- Rybarikova's career-high ranking was No. 31, achieved in 2013. The former member of the Slovakian Fed Cup team (2005-15) finished in the year-end Top 100 in 2008, 2009 and from 2011 to 2015, with her best year-end finish coming in at No. 38 in 2013, when she won her third career tour title at the WTA stop in Washington, D.C.
