Coach Patrick Mouratoglou has praised Elena Rybakina for releasing a statement and publicly defending her coach after Pam Shriver’s comments led to widespread criticism of coach Stefano Vukov.
On Friday, Shriver tweeted that Rybakina needed to “find a coach who speaks and treats her with respect at all times.”
Vukov, who has been Rybakina’s coach since the early 2019, guided the Kazakh to two Grand Slam finals and a top-10 ranking.
On Sunday, Rybakina called for “disregard of any fake news” and underlined 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 speaking up,” Mouratoglou wrote on Twitter.
Some people throw others under the bus without any knowledge or information. Good job Elena for speaking up. https://t.co/zP4oHUg8UL
— Patrick Mouratoglou (@pmouratoglou) January 29, 2023
Mouratoglou praises Rybakina’s speaking up for her coach
“After a great AO, I have seen some disturbing comments on social media about the behaviour of my coach Stefano Vukov. I want to clarify any misinterpretations. Stefano has believed in me for many years, before anyone else did. We plotted a strategy together in how I 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 people that are making these comments, he has great knowledge about me as a person and as an athlete. Those who know me well, will know that I would never accept a coach that didn’t respect me and all our hard work. I may be quiet on court and in general, but inside me is a competitive athlete that wants to achieve great things and Stefano has helped me greatly in this way. So please disregard any fake news to the contrary,” Rybakina said in a message posted on her Instagram.
Meanwhile, Rybakina enjoyed a strong Australian Open run.
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 a set before Aryna Sabalenka stormed back to win in three sets.
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