Elena Rybakina’s shocking defeat in the 2024 French Open quarterfinals caused her anger to explode in a conversation with her coach, Stefano Vukov. Considering Rybakina’s usually calm style on the field, the heated argument generated conversation among tennis players.
Rybakina defeated Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals of the French Open in an attempt to secure her first semifinal spot. The world No. 4 was the favourite going into the tournament, but Paolini outplayed her in the first set.
Despite forcing a decider with a second-set victory, Rybakina maintained her composure to win 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, and advance to her first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal. The Kazakh performed poorly due to her rough behaviour, committing 48 unintentional mistakes.
‘Andiamo’, which means ‘let’s go’ in Italian, was a tense moment during the game when Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov attempted to energise the Kazakh.
The 24-year-old seemed offended by Vukov’s comment and angrily questioned why he was speaking in Italian. She said: “Why the f**k are you talking in Italian?”
Elena Rybakina in 2024
Currently ranked no.4, the Kazakhstani played her last match on the 5th of June when she capitulated to world no.15 Jasmine Paolini 6-2 4-6 6-4 in the quarter of the French Open (draw).
This season the Kazakhstani has achieved an overall 34-6 match record. Rybakina conquered 3 titles in 2024 in Brisbane, Abu Dhabi and Stuttgart. The Kazakhstani got to the final in Doha and Miami.