On Thursday, after five seemingly nerveless performances, the world No.87 Slovakian bids for a place in the Wimbledon final.

“I was sometimes thinking maybe I'm never going to come back, and here I am in the semi-final of Grand Slam,” Rybarikova said after dispatching the big-serving CoCo Vandeweghe of the US, 6-3, 6-3, in the quarter-final.

Having had two operations last year, one on her left wrist and the other on her right knee, the 28-year-old had to start from scratch after her ranking slumped to No. 453 this spring following a seven-month absence from the women’s Tour.

She had a tough time during her injury break, which lasted much longer than expected.

“I went to watch our girls at Fed Cup, just to cheer, and it was funny so many people were like, 'Oh, are you still playing tennis?'” she told the WTA website after winning her first round at Wimbledon. “They thought I was done. It was tough to hear sometimes because I wasn’t out for that long. When you're not in the eyes of the people, then they forget about you.”

Having made her comeback in February, she quickly returned to the top 100 after winning four lower-tier ITF events, including in Surbiton, southwest London and Ilkley, West Yorkshire before Wimbledon. Rybarikova lost the semi-final in Nottingham to fellow Wimbledon semi-finalist Johanna Konta.

After beating pre-tournament favourite Karolina Pliskova in the second round at the All England Club, Rybarikova has improved with every round.

“That was huge for me,” Rybarikova said about beating Pliskova, the new women’s No. 1. “I wanted to test a little bit myself because I haven't played against top 10 players quite a while.”

A player with tremendous variety, her game is perfectly suited to the grass. Playing in her first Grand Slam quarter-final, Rybarikova calmly took apart the power game of Vandeweghe, taking away her rhythmn with serve-and-volley and slice. She also dealt very well with a lengthy rain delay and a court change, from starting at No. 1 to finishing on Centre Court under the roof.

“I just recently played ITFs in Surbiton,” Rybarikova said. “I was thinking that I was nervous more there than today. I have no idea how come I was that calm.”

Rybarikova, who has two siblings, first picked up a tennis racket when she was eight years old. Born in Piestany, she moved to Bratislava when she was 15 to advance her tennis career at the national tennis centre.

“When I was in the kindergarten, I was always playing something with the balls,” she said. “So it's the way I play. I also liked the players to watch, like Martina Hingis, her strategy on the court was very smart, I would say.”

The question is, where has a player of such talent and poise been since she turned pro in 2005?

The winner of four WTA titles, including one on the grass courts of Birmingham in 2013, she has been ranked as high as No. 31. But look at Rybarikova’s Grand Slam record, and you will see 21 first-round losses between 2008 and 2017.

“It's true, I never played good here,” she said after becoming the first player from Slovakia to reach the Wimbledon semi-final. “I lost I think eight in a row in the first round. So then it was a little bit in my head that I just want to pass the first round. Two years ago I did a third round. Then I relaxed. I was like, OK, I can make it. I can be through the first round.”

Before The Championships, everyone was talking about this being one of the most wide open women’s tournaments in years.

“Serena not being here this year, it gave hope to everybody,” 2013 Wimbledon winner Marion Bartoli told the BBC. “It’s there for anybody to grab the title.”

Just look at last month’s French Open, where the then world No.47 Jelena Ostapenko, 20, stunned pre-tournament favourite Simona Halep in the final with a breathtaking display of power tennis.