24-year-old Russian tennis player Elena Rybakina recently slammed the unprofessional behavior of the leadership at WTA. It is no new news that the scheduling has always been an issue between the players and the authorities who decide it. With no regard for Elena, and the other players, the scheduling was set in a way that forced her to play the quarterfinals and semifinals just hours apart.
The world no. 4 shared with the world in an interview how she had a tough week because of this. Not just that, she also had to face injuries because of it, and now her presence at the US Open can be in jeopardy because of this. Owing to the same, many people came to support her including Serena Williams’ former coach.
Serena Williams’ former coach comes forward to support Elena Rybakina
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After losing against Liudmila Samsonova in the semifinals of the Canadian Open, Elena Rybakina openly thrashed the leadership of WTA. She shared that it was very unprofessional of them to change the scheduling of her quarterfinal match so close to her semifinals. Further, she also escalated that the leadership is very weak and she hopes something changes.
Owing to the same, Serena’s ex-coach Renna Stubbs steeds in to offer her support to Elena’s argument. She reposted her interview segment on her Twitter account and added a caption along with it. It said, “This shouldn’t happen! I know the weather was crap, but this isn’t fair. I think players would prefer two matches in a day than this.”
This shouldn’t happen! I know the weather was crap, but this isn’t fair. I think players would prefer two matches in a day then this. https://t.co/8cwlcdHWdm
— Rennae Stubbs 🟦👍🏼 (@rennaestubbs) August 14, 2023
For any player, having to face sudden scheduling changes so close to their matches and having to wait the whole day to be informed about it can easily take a toll on them. The recovery time and effort are not easy for tennis players.
And now with US Open so close, Elena’s injury can prove to be fatal as she can lose her chances to play there. She shared her concerns about the same with Express UK.
Elena Rybakina shares being unsure about future tournaments
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Cincinnati Open is beginning next week and US Open starts on August 28. Talking about the same, Elena said that it is tough for her to say if she would be playing at these tournaments or not. She would need time to see how she feels and to evaluate her injuries as well.
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Further, she also talked about how she needs to smartly think about making the decision now as she does not want to worsen her injuries. Decisions around scheduling are as crucial for the leadership as for the players and having their issues considered in decision making is important. That is the only thing that can make it better for everyone involved.
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