Exchange of opinions went viral between Rybakina and the Italian-Croatian coach, who tried to encourage her, but in the language of her opponent Jasmine Paolini.
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Elena Rybakina yesterday she had a decidedly bad day, being surprisingly defeated by Jasmine Paolini to the quarterfinals of Roland Garros. Match during which she had one very heated exchange with his coach Stefano Vukovwhich went viral on social media, which has incited using the wrong language.
The discussion between Rybakina and Vukov at Roland Garros
Stefano Vukov was born in Rijekaand to cheer Rybakina on often uses Italian words. During yesterday’s match, given the difficulty of her player, he tried to encourage her by shouting at her “Let’s go!“. But Rybakina responded vehemently “Why the hell are you speaking in Italian?“very annoyed by being prodded in her opponent’s language.
Yesterday’s, it wasn’t the only time in which Rybakina and her coach had very heated discussions during the matches. In fact, in their relationship that has been going on for over five years, there have been other moments of tension.
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The controversial relationship between Vukov and Rybakina
Rybakina, a Russian tennis player who became Kazakh naturalized in 2018, trains together with Stefano Vukov, Italian-Croatian coach, since 2019. He was her first, and so far only, coach who follows her on trips to various tournaments. When they started their collaboration, Rybakina was on the fringes of the top 200 in the world ranking, but together with Vukov she managed to become Wimbledon champion in 2022Australian Open finalist in 2023, and climb up to the 3rd position in the world ranking.
But alongside these results, they are often there very heavy discussions between the twowith Vukov involved in controversy for the way he tries to encourage his playerand Rybakina herself let it slip during yesterday’s match harsh words towards him.
Vukov had already ended up in the eye of the storm during the 2023 Australian Openwhen ESPN journalist Pam Shriver wrote on social media that “As I watch Rybakina try to win her second major in 7 months, I hope she finds a coach who talks to her and treats her with respect at all times and that you accept nothing less.”
Rybakina, who also had problems with journalists in this Roland Garros, responded on that occasion on social media clarifying that “I want to clarify the misunderstandings regarding my coach’s behavior. Stefano Vukov has believed in me for years and did so before anyone else. His methods show my successes in Slam tournaments. He is an emotional coach and, contrary to what people who engage in baseless comments may think, he knows me very well both as an athlete and as a person”.
Relationship that Stefano Vukov, after Rybakina won Wimbledon in 2022, wanted to seal tattooing his name, to pay off a bet made two years earlier. Demonstrating their solid and peculiar relationship that binds them.
