Coach Patrick Mouratoglou praised Elena Rybakina for releasing a statement and publicly defending her coach after Pam Shriver’s comments sparked widespread criticism of coach Stefano Vukov. On Friday, Shriver tweeted that Rybakina needed to «find a coach who will talk to her and treat her with respect at all times.» Vukov, who has been Rybakina’s coach since early 2019, guided the Kazakh to two Grand Slam finals and a top-10 ranking.
On Sunday, Rybakina asked to «ignore any fake news» and stressed that Vukov is someone who respects her at all times. «Some people throw others under the bus without any knowledge or information. Good job, Elena, for talking.» Mouratoglou wrote on Twitter.
Some people throw others under the bus without any knowledge or information. Good job Elena for talking. —Patrick Mouratoglou (@pmouratoglou) January 29, 2023
Mouratoglou praises Rybakina speaking for her coach
«After a great AO, I have seen some disturbing comments on social networks about the behavior of my coach Stefano Vukov.
I want to clear up any misinterpretation. Stefano has believed in me for many years, before anyone else. We strategized together on how he could achieve great things and his method shows in my Grand Slam success so far.
He is a passionate coach, with a lot of knowledge about tennis. Unlike the people making these comments, he has a great deal of knowledge about me as a person and an athlete. Those who know me well will know that I would never accept a coach who did not respect me and all of our hard work.
I may be calm on the court and in general, but inside of me there is a competitive athlete who wants to achieve great things and Stefano has helped me a lot in that regard. So please ignore any fake news stating otherwise,» Rybakina said in a message posted on his Instagram.
Meanwhile, Rybakina enjoyed a strong run at the Australian Open. After winning Wimbledon, Rybakina came close to winning her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. In the Australian Open final, Rybakina was up by one set before Aryna Sabalenka came back to win in three sets.
