Posted by Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday January 11, 2025
Elena Rybakina took questions from the media at the moment and, naturally, most of them had been about his coaching standing. The World No.6, who rocked the tennis world by asserting that he would reinstate former coach Stefano Vukov to his crew regardless of hiring Goran Ivanisevic as his coach late final yr, supplied some readability on the fluid scenario, however not a lot.
Rybakina, who will face Emerson Jones in his opening match in Melbourne, admitted that the present scenario will not be good in any respect. Vukov is presently suspended from the tour, and has but to qualify for the Australian Open.
Learn extra: Rybakina in Limbo, as Vukov Faces Suspension from WTA Tour
“It isn’t an excellent scenario in any respect,” he mentioned. “Like I mentioned, I am not proud of the entire scenario. Particularly when different trainers are nonetheless making some feedback, and people who find themselves not too near the world of the world of browsing simply see the feedback and take it and make extra of a present out of it.
“I do not assume it is proper. My objective right here is to deal with matches. That is what I’ll do.”
Rybakina clarified her present scenario, saying that Ivanisevic will likely be together with her in Melbourne, and she or he additionally revealed that the rumors that Ivanisevic is blindsided by the information that Vukov is about to return to the crew aren’t true.
“We’re there, we’re working, sure he’s,” he mentioned, including: “As I’ve mentioned, I cannot speak about it an excessive amount of, for the reason that scenario will not be very clear on the WTA Tour.”
Rybakina labeled Pam Shriver’s feedback concerning the state of her relationship with Vukov as inappropriate and mentioned she had by no means spoken to the American.
A subject close to and expensive to the center of this story. In 2023 Shriver opened up for the primary time concerning the inappropriate relationship he had together with his former coach when he was simply 17 years outdated.
“I do not know him,” Rybakina mentioned of Shriver. “He by no means got here to me. He did not discuss to me. I do know his story. It is unhappy, but it surely doesn’t suggest that different gamers are going through the identical issues. He does not know me. I do not know him. I do not assume it’s flawed to make any such feedback. Particularly being an lively coach, analyst, journalist and so forth.”
