Elena Rybakina marched to the second round of the Australian Open with a dominant victory over Australian teenager Emerson Jones. The Kazakh needed just 53 minutes to seal the victory in straight sets by 6-1, 6-1. But Rybakina’s on-court performances seem to have taken a backseat for now. It’s the controversial saga surrounding her coach, Stefan Vukov, that is catching all the spotlight. Martina Navratilova, a former WTA star, has now expressed her views on this ongoing controversy.

Elena Rybakina publicly disagreed with the WTA Tour’s decision to provisionally suspend her coach, Stefano Vukov. The WTA announced that Vukov was under investigation for a potential breach of their code of conduct. Rybakina, however, stated that she had never made any complaints about Vukov’s treatment. The 25-year-old said, “I always said that he never mistreated me. I have never made any complaints or any of these things.” Continuing further, she added, “I don’t really want to speak about this anymore. I want to focus on my matches here,” showing her intent to focus on her tennis career, more than anything else.

Martina Navratilova, a tennis legend, has weighed in on the controversy. While Rybakina appears happy working with Vukov, the former World No. 1 has her concerns. Navratilova remarked, “We know there’s a lot of women that don’t file complaints. That doesn’t mean they were not abused. We had heard the abuse on TV. He was called out on that and he did tone it down quite a bit this last year. So if she’s good with it, I guess we are too.”

Sharing her unease, Navratilova added, “I just find it sad that you think this is normal. But it’s normal for her perhaps and she can handle it, more power to her. It doesn’t seem healthy, but here we are and I will not speculate any further than that. I just hope that she’s making the right decision.”

Elena Rybakina, the 2022  Wimbledon Champion, had announced ahead of the 2023 US Open that she would no longer be working with Vukov and had instead appointed Goran Ivanisevic as her new coach. Ivanisevic, a former Wimbledon champion in 2001, had also coached Novak Djokovic during his 12 Grand Slam victories. However, ahead of the ongoing Australian Open, the Kazakh revealed that Vukov would rejoin her coaching team. The news of WTA’s provisional suspension came out shortly after Rybakina made the announcement, triggering widespread discussion about the situation.

John Wertheim, a tennis commentator, also expressed his views on the matter. He said, “I think we need to be on the side of caution and prudence. There’s an awful lot of speculation and chatter and rumor.” Wertheim pointed out the timing of the WTA’s suspension, stating, “The WTA statement, interestingly, came right after she announced on social media that Vukov was back in the fold and was going to rejoin her camp.”

“It’s a really delicate situation. We’re talking about a tennis player but also a human being. For all the chatter, maybe it’s best if we don’t speculate,” Wertheim concluded.

Coming back to Martina Navratilova, she might not be entirely happy about the fact that Rybakina has re-hired Vukov, she still backs the Kazakh potential.

Martina Navratilova believes in Elena Rybakina’s potential

Ahead of The Australian Open 2024, Martina Navratilova was confident that Elena Rybakina could be a serious contender for the title. According to Navratilova, Elena’s primary concern is her health. “That’s the biggest thing for her — staying healthy,” she explained, recognizing how illness can be just as challenging as injuries in a professional athlete’s career.

Navratilova further elaborated, “Normally, players get injured, but she’s been sick.” She emphasized that sickness and injuries could disrupt a player’s momentum, making it harder for them to move forward. “If she can stay healthy, then you can build. But when you’re sick or injured, you go back to neutral. And then you finally get above neutral — and you get another setback,” Navratilova said.

While acknowledging the emotional toll on Rybakina, the former WTA star highlighted a positive aspect of the current situation. “The positive: Sometimes it takes the pressure off because the expectations go lower.” With fewer expectations, Rybakina may find herself more relaxed and focused.

Looking back at Kazakh’s start to the 2023 season, Navratilova was impressed by her form. “She dropped, what, 15 games in five matches to open the season?” the Czech legend noted, highlighting Rybakina’s strong serving dominance. She believed the Kazakhstani player would be highly motivated after losing the previous year’s Australian Open final. “She’s been serving great,” Navratilova further added, “After losing the final last year, she’ll be super motivated.”

Navratilova firmly believes that Rybakina has a great chance to win the Australian Open in 2024, calling her “the favorite right now.” She pointed out that the surface at Melbourne Park suits Rybakina’s game better than Iga Świątek’s, making her one of the top contenders. “It’s between Swiatek & Rybakina,” Navratilova concluded. Are you backing the Kazakh to make a deep run in the ongoing Australian Open? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.