As Russians try to steal all the Kazakh thunder

they’re going to be super proud,” she said, tearing up. “You wanted to see emotion,” she added, laughing. “I kept it in too long.”

Moments earlier, Rybakina had faced uneasy questions about her citizenship given the Moscowborn player had just won a tournament from which Russian and Belarusian players had been banned.

“I can only say that I’m representing Kazakhstan,” she insisted, “I didn’t choose where I was born.

“I ’ ve been playing for Kazakhstan a long time, I represented them at the biggest tournaments, the Olympics, which was a dream come true.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, it’s always news, but I can’t do anything about it.”

It is a shame for her as an individual that this victory will inevitably be politicised.

And you can only imagine there were howls of laughter inside the Kreml in as pictures of the Duchess of Cambridge handing over the Venus Rosewater Dish zipped around the world.

Leading Russian coach Vladimir Kamelzon, part of their tennis federation, claimed the win for his nation instead of the Kazakhs.

He told TASS: “A stunning victory for Russian tennis at Wimb l e d on, co n t r a r y to everything that was organised against the Russians.

“Rybakina is a unique girl, fantastic, purely Russian, the education of a Russian school. This is an achievement primarily of Russia.”

As for the tennis, Rybakina thoroughly merited her win, holding her nerve and getting to grips with Jabeur’s game after a difficult first set.

Jabeur was excellent in it and looked like she would go on to achieve her dream of becoming the first Arab Grand Slam winner.

Credit Rybakina, though, who got to grips with the Tunisian’s game and fought back with the powerful brand of tennis which had seen her march into the final.

“It wasn’t meant to be,” said Jabeur. “I don’t regret anything, I gave it my all.

“Elena is one of the best from the young generation, she really plays well. But I’m going to have to teach her how to celebrate really good.”