Concerns surrounding Elena Rybakina only seem to boil this season. First, the Kazakh’s medical concerns affected her touring bandwidth and then, she endured a coaching split. Having returned to the tour and jetted to the Gulf, Rybakina seems to be in great shape for the WTA Finals, but, will that be enough? Serena Williams’ ex-coach has cast her doubts.

The young talent shocked fans after abruptly ending her highly successful partnership with ex-coach Stefano Vukov. She aired the announcement three days before the US Open commenced – giving a reasonable excuse to critics to contemplate and speculate what went wrong in the partnership.

There were disturbing details about the duo’s complex dynamic, with the Russian journalist Sofya Tartakova revealing that Vukov hurled “bad words” at Rybakina. Amid the turbulence, Rennae Stubbs has voiced her take about Rybakina’s prospects on her comeback. And, she, lowkey, has written off the Kazakh’s chances in the Gulf.

In an episode of ‘The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast‘, the Aussie was unsure whether Rybakina could live up to her “athletic hype” having no coach to aid her at the WTA Finals. While she highlighted her upper hand on the indoor hard surface, an extensive no-show in recent months prompted Stubbs to be doubtful of Rybakina’s chances.

She said, “I don’t know how Elena is going to do. This is going to be a very big test for her. Who is going to be coaching her? Who was she there with? We’ll find out in a matter of days, but it will be interesting. Look, she plays really good tennis indoors. Striking is good, but we don’t know how she’s going to be, fitness-wise, match-wise.” From the looks of it, Stubbs might be onto something.

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Rybakina’s chances in Saudi Arabia looks slim as she is still without a permanent coach. Coupled with the formidable draw she will face at the WTA Finals, the 2022 Wimbledon champion is in a fix. She has no time to ease into the season-ending championship.

Elena Rybakina is drawn to a tough lot at the WTA Finals

Elena Rybakina will not have it easy at the WTA Finals. With the world’s top eight in action, contestants will have to spare little to no margin of error. Though the Kazakh will be aiming to clinch her maiden crown, in-form players will only exploit the Rybakina’s recent drop in match practice and maybe even, fitness.

The 25-year-old is placed in the purple group at the event, notably comprising reigning US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng, and French Open and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini. With a string of formidable opponents to defeat, it won’t be an easy run for Rybakina, considering she was absent from the tour for nearly two months.

In summary, Rybakina’s campaign at the WTA Finals is likely a tossup. With no firsthand insight into her physical readiness or mental stability, fans will have to wait and see if Rybakina can capitalize on her strengths in Saudi, as she takes on Italian Paolini on Saturday, November 2.