She’s by far my favorite player on tour. It’s hard to deal with the constant set backs she’s facing but I do hope for a brighter future now that she has new staff around her soon
She urgently needs to built a solid support team, starting with a good quality coach, physio, psychology support. And get a healthy social circle of friends around her. She has all the skills to become a repeated slam champion. Not to mention the exciting competition it will be in the WTA circle.
The reason I got into tennis was because of Rybakina’s ice cold demeanour/ respect for opponents/ quite/ amazing ball striking and that serve🤌🏼 she’s too good for the sport and I just hope she’s mentally ok an can come up somewhat of form and do her fans an herself proud! She’s a grand slam champion an that’ll never be taken from her!
Ice cold demeanor on and off the court. I do like that description of her. Always been one of the more mysterious characters in the WTA which, in my opinion, makes her quite fascinating. As to her recent struggles, hopefully she’ll be back at full strength sometime next year. She really does need a full diagnosis and treatment (both mental and physical) from top professionals. Maybe easier said than done.
I don't think she's overnhyped, she's a brilliant player. But there is clearly something not right just now. I hope she can get back to health and happiness.
I've been concerned for a long while that Elena's health issues are not only physical, but there's something not quite right, even dark , that has caused some emotional and mental issues too. Her demeanour has become more and more defensive and prickly, her physical features more and more alarming. This has obviously been a difficult year for her, so I really hope she gets better soon. I also hope if there's some mental health issues that needs to be addressed, she gets the help she needs, the time she needs to heal and that people show grace to her as she navigates her way back ❤
Apt analysis! I say this from having experienced it for 20 years at the hands of a narcissistic mother, before I went no-contact (have been so for 15 years) . Abusive people can cause all kinds of physical, psychological, and emotional issues, especially in others who are innately delicate. It can even change the face structure of the person at the receiving end of someone's abuse. It can sap somebody so much that one wouldn't even want to get out of bed at times.
Yup truly worry about her. Proud of her to have finally said goodbye to a possibly toxic partnership and truly hope she takes enough time to recover both mentally and physically. Hope she knows that we all care about her. and a brand new start in 2025. but please take your time Elena.
Rybakina is an extremely talented and very sweet gal. I don't know what is going on with her. I am very concerned about the back issues. My favorite player, Kontaveit was forced to retire because of lingering back issues. She went on a streak that took her all the way to #2 in the world before the back problems kicked in. I hope Elena is able to find a good coach who can draw out the raw talent that we know she has. It would be very sad if she is having mental issues which cause her to leave the game.
A few months ago, I commented on a clip showing an interaction between Elena and Vukov in the break between games in a match. The interaction seemed to be professional, but I, as a narc abuse survivor at the hands of the woman who's given birth to me, was instantly reminded of her (I'm no contact with her since 15 years) the way Vukov behaved. The rashes I can see are something I experienced when I was with narc mother. Over-release of Cortisol - the stress hormone. Once I went no contact, my skin issues disappeared. The body knows when it's in the presence of someone abusive. Being at the receiving end of toxicity can cause all kinds of physical, and psychological issues. What a shame as Ryba can easily cement her name among the greats of the sport!
I am very concerned about her, I am from South Africa and a big fan, I really pray for her I think there are more problems than just injuries, she desperately needs a new coach and emotional help!!
IMO the break-up with Vukov took a huge toll on her. In a single-player sport like tennis, u dont end a partnership with someone after 5yrs & just move on as if nothing happened. Unlike team sports, tennis players rely on their small team of coaches-trainers, etc for not just success, but emotional & pyschological support. That is literally their 'family' on the long, lonely months on tour. So for an introvert like Ryba, the break-up after 5yrs, is really big. Much bigger than maybe she anitcipated. But she's a gr8 player with fantastic weaponry & just needs time to heal.
Elena is a powerhouse of a talent and by no means is she overhyped. There's obviously a lot of stuff going on below the surface, both physical and emotional. It's sad to see her fading like this, and I really hope that she gets the help she needs so that she can start 2025 strong.
She is so talented, it's a shame she is going through all of this. I've always thought that coach she had was verbally and/or psychologically abusive and that the criticisms of Shriver during AO2023 were true and she posting that was to save face... at the end the truth always comes out. I hope she can get the help she needs and can continue to play because she is a great player.
Let's just be frank. Something nefarious was happening between Elena and her coach. In my opinion, the lines got blurred with her coach from professional to intimately personal, which seems to have resulted in a toxic situation. Won't go into detail, but this situation is why that coach has been removed from the list of coaches on the WTA. I think she'll be back. She just needs rest as the tour is too strenuous for her right now. Way too talented not to come back.
I’m very worried about Elena pulling out of so many tournaments. Elena is so talented and love watching her play. I think there’s a lot more to this than just health problems. She is such a sweet person and maybe cannot stand the pressure Vukov is putting her under and doesn’t know how to handle the situation. I wish her good health and hopefully takes the situation in hand. We love you Elena
I just feel like this is darker than we know. Her clearly declining physical and mental health. The sudden withdrawals especially at the Open. AND her ex-coach being removed from the WTA coaching list.
It kind of reminds me of a Jelena Dokic or Mary Pierce situation as far as potential abuse of some kind even if it’s verbal it’s still serious. Pierce bounced back where Dokic didn’t . Also stress leads to illness and to me she has looked run down and it shows in her face physically and emotionally. She has such great potential but she lost some major matches she should have won. I am a huge fan of Elena’s and hope this time off will help her return next year with a healthy body and mind and a better coach. I’ll be praying for her.
I'm not the one who likes to speculate about serious things. I've been watching Rybakina (like 80% of her matches) since the end of 2020, she has been always struggling to finish the seasons well since then, if this is a consequence of some abusive relationship, which obviously would cause a general vulnerability, of course, including immunological vulnerability, I really don't know and I hope it's not the case because if it does, should have more attention than it's having, it's not a matter of privacy, it's a criminal matter, an investigation needs to be done. Sooner or later the truth always arises though.
Christian, thank you so much for this in depth analysis concerning Elena Rybakina. In a word she is a real sweetheart and no matter who has a favorite tennis player it is always hard to root against Elena. Competitively, she is certainly a very talented force on the court and there is no doubt she could become the number one woman's player. But, that's where the questions start popping up. That woman you showed us on your video said something I was going to say in my comment. A lot of people say she reminds them of a wonderful poker player. She never seems to be bothered to the extent it effects her game negatively. When she makes a great shot we see a glimpse of a smile but it is quickly withdrawn. Conclusion? Wow, she really has it all together. Well, there are times when we must release energy in some fashion to keep 'all our pieces' running smoothly. Keeping everything inside has drawbacks and it has to distract the person who keeps everything to themselves. I believe Elena is guilty of doing exactly that. That can be attended to by employing professional help (such as Iga has done). But, what the woman said and I totally agree, Elena shows extreme signs of being psychosomatic, described as one who has a physical disorder which gets magnified because of an emotional state of mind. We'll let the professionals take it from here but there are many varied reasons why someone is challenged by their ability or lack thereof to cope with injuries which will impede one's ambitions. And, perhaps, to be surrounded by someone very close to her who is constantly ' in her ear' about what he thinks is wrong with her, although his intention is good I'm sure his method of helping her may, in fact, make it worse. Thus, the separation of the two. I strongly recommend Elena seek professional help and there is nothing she should be concerned about in regards to people thinking she is getting help. WE ALL NEED HELP! You know what I mean, Christian. I happen to adore Iga because of the way she plays and because of who she is as a raw, humble and caring person who will speak her mind even though it occasionally gets her in trouble. She travels with a psychologist who is part of her team and no one has a problem with that. In fact, most people agree the outcome has been wonderful. The same thing can happen with Elena. In today's world of communications she doesn't need to travel with a psychologist but a chat every once in a while might be exactly what Elena needs. Btw, Christian, I saw the photo of her face in the one you showed us. Rather than bruises I believe they are the result of her emotional state of mind. What a shame. She is absolutely gorgeous to look at and her temperate state of mind is 'very guarded'. Her interviews can be very, very nice but we can see how careful she is to not say anything 'wrong'. Oh, don't get me wrong, she can be outspoken at times defending herself, but that is the exception to who she is and it must make her very uncomfortable.
What a shame. Perhaps it would be good for her to take some time off from competitions, work on recovering from her back issues while also working on addressing her mental health issues ( if that’s indeed affecting her). Come back stronger and refreshed in a few months. Her back issues can be improved ( see Federer in 2011-12 ish) but her mental health should be a priority. Lately we have seen too many talented players burnt out in part for not addressing their mental health sooner. Some of these players have openly talked about it ( Badosa, kyrgios, Osaka, Fish, Coco Gauff) so it’s clear that it should be taken with the same urgency as any other physical injury. I truly wish she gets well soon as she brings something different to the WTA as a person and player
True! But it was Naomi Osaka who actually spearheaded the "open talks" about mental health. And many haters were talking that it was simply part of Naomi's drama!
@@almanns.batiao9516 yes, you are 100% correct. Some people were incredibly harsh with her and seeing how she dealt with all of those people made me like her even more!
She is simply one of the greatest players if not the best ever “for me” but she’s been unlucky for along time. We hope she can get back stronger and healthier and then she can do better than before ❤❤❤❤❤❤
I’m a big Rybakina fan, but I think it’s interesting to see people’s compassion towards her constantly pulling out of tournaments and citing injuries. I can’t help but wonder if this was Coco Gauff would everyone be so empathetic? Why do we tear down some players yet lift up others?
I dont think people would be this empathetic towards Coco and the main reason is that there is always someone who has a need to bring her to every single discusion even if it is not about her.
She has become Queen of withdrawals…My favorite WTA player…what to say…promising start to the year but a disappointing end…hope she overcomes all her difficulties and comeback stronger next year or this year WTA finals…such a talented player otherwise its a big loss for tennis…
I believe she might have a viral infection, some months ago she got sick and retired from a tournament, since then she has been retiring in may others, (maybe effects of Covid, or vaccines? ) She looks weak, no strength,. she lacks of energy to run. I hope she gets healthy and wins again, she is my favorite player along with Emma and some others.
Elena is a good champion . I am too very worried about Elena. I feel Elena coach was toxic . Her coach was in nyc. Let's hope Elena is safe and that she will heal . Elena is such a good Athlete.
Christian I feel her coach relationship. Was very toxic. So grateful Elena has left her coach . I belive Eleana needs a great woman coach. Lindsey Davonport . USA. Davis cup coach they would be a solid team together. Praying for Elena health and strengh.. ❤❤❤❤.future no1. For sure. Chris Lindsey Davonport.would be awesome. As her coach.
Elena is first and foremost a young woman. Tennis star is second. This is her life and clearly she's going through a very difficult time/ situation. Her focus will be on her well being. After that if she picks back up the tennis community will be happy to have her back playing. I think people should have compassion and understanding that these athletes are people first and most of them are so young. We wish the best for Elena.
Tennis evolves each month, the depth is pretty level and whomever is feeling their best on SF or final day wins - by just a handful of points in critical moments of a match. No player feels 100 percent every match. Chris Evert was perhaps the most consistant player because she was so eager not to lose and could recharge her batteries better day to day than her peers. Superior mental strength wins out over the day. Evert was able to raise her level of play at 4-4 30-all more often than players ranked below her. She seldom lost to players ranked below her. Today anyone in top 20 can be beaten and from first round in a slam event you must be consistant each day - a problem physically has to be made up mentally . At times the pressure can be too much and the double faults is the body’s way of giving you a rest from playing - mental aspect is to blame most of the time while players often give excuses physically blaming something out of their control . She may have had enough and is recharging . Something is up - whether she will share this is something I’m not expecting .
I just hope she is alright and if not finds whatever is right for her. What could be seen from the outside in recent months certainly looked concerning. Fingers crossed!
I have been observing Elena Rybakina in recent months and to me she appears to be depressed. In the last interview I saw of her, she was putting on a brave face but looked like she was going to start crying. Criticism from her coach can't help and that is probably why she fired him. Obviously it's part of his job to criticize her but it's how you go about doing it. It appears that their relationship had broken down and that is why they had to part ways.
Thank you for this information. I like Elana. She could just be going through something she needs to sort out. Maybe next year she'll come back more refreshed and heathier. She just need some time.
Think is very unfortunate. She is one of my favorite players. She's very talented. I just hope she resolves her issues. Something needs to be done about the number of tournament players compete in. Tennis of the 21st century is very grueling. Despite the advancement in science and medicine, there's far too many injuries nowadays especially on the women's side. Most of the players are carrying one inury or the other.
Elena es mi jugadora favorita y durante los ultimos meses he sentido que fue perdiendo su chispa, no me refiero a su talento en el tenis sino a su motivacion para salir a la cancha y disfrutar el partido😢. Me da mucha pena todo lo que ha pasado pero espero que Elena se mejore y vuelva a disfrutar del tenis tanto como disfruto yo de verla ❤ no importa cuanto tiempo pase siempre sera mi favorita 😊 la verdad me gustaba Vukov como coach, cuando comence a ver a Elena todo iba bien pero al ver mas videos de ellos en practicas siempre me dejaba muy mala sensacion ya hace un tiempo siento que la critica mucho no solo frente a ella sino cuando hablaba con mas gente, no estoy segura pq en los videos no se escucha claramente pero la actitud de el como coach me parecio mala
Considering Elena isnt not even saying anything about this situation then it seems like using mental energy for no reason to worry and speculate when she did not ask for it. like the whole Princess Kate situation people have a right to medical privacy and owe the public nothing - granted the royal family is supported by taxe payers so like presidents health transparency is important.
I have a strong feeling her performance lately has allot to do with her coach. She’s so sweet and quiet and he seems a bit aggressive, who knows how he probably treated her 🤷🏽♂️
The stuff being spread about Vukov is pure speculation. Multiple players have split from coaches, it happens. I suspect WTA has a lot to do with what’s going on currently with Elena. When Elena is allowed to play her best tennis she is unbeatable!! I believe it was a combination of WTA & Vukov that resulted in Elena’s strange withdrawals. WTA are becoming more and more greedy especially with sports betting in the mix. They especially target Elena, fixing matches she can win would take it’s toll on anyone. My hope is that WTA let her play her game without meddling!! I think this took a toll on the relationship between Elena and Vukov. I do not believe their relationship was anything more than a business relationship. Elena seemed very tired and very fed up with the circus towards the end. The only reason I watch tennis is because of Elena Rybakina.
Could it be that Vukov wanted something " more " relationship wise and Elena did not feel the same way, which would make working together very difficult and in the end ... untenable .
I really wonder why we don’t take a better look at the schedule and it’s toll on the body for young players instead of jumping down players throats when they pull out due to illness or injury. It’s a lot and I think we should be a lot better about judging the players who give their whole lives and bodies best years to the sport. I hope Elena has a good 2024 season, she’s great to watch and I think she can beat anyone.
It's impressive that she's still 3rd in the race even having missed all those tournements. Just for the record, Paolini made it to the final at RG and has been one of the top players in 2024 so Rybakina losing the quarters to her it's not abnormal.
Rybakina's biggest problem is her ongoing fitness woes. It doesn't get easier with age. She can still win Wimbledon though. But she won't be a double digit grandslam champion.
Strange situation , if the back injury is so serious how did she manage to go SKY DIVING last week with her sister ANNA which was against HER COACHES wishes during the season , Yes the schedule is gruelling , 9 months with little time to recover from injuries Stefan gave tough love as Lena's concentration does wonder during matches . maybe his enthusiasm does go over the top . As a footnote Stefan is NOT banned
Already in 2023 Ryba had health problems (allergies and illnesses). She had two serious coronavirus in 2023, which her former coach said at the beginning of this season. Rybakina physically cannot handle the entire season, from Wimbledon to the Finals she looked in 2023 as if she was playing as a punishment, that she had had enough of the season. And this season it looks even worse and that is why I think it will not get any better in the following years. Probably in 2025 at the beginning of the season she will be one of the best tennis players, but in the spring allergies and illnesses will start plus the intensity of the season and she will disappear just like this season, from Wimbledon to the Finals she will not exist. The girl is not getting younger, and there is nothing she can do about allergies and illnesses. Maybe she limits her performances to a minimum, plays as few as 1000, then maybe she will play longer next season
Rybakina once said in interview that she is stubborn to play even when not fully healthy. Vukov maybe forcing her to skip a few tournaments and take a rest, and thats what sparks the conflict
Sometimes, all that we need is a tough voice booming our ears for us to be productive. Rybakina looks like a very passive person. She needs external sources of energy to leave her bed. Thats why I think that her coach was ideal for her. She wants to grow up and prove to herself that she no longer needs her "parent-like nagging" coach. Its a 50/50 situation. But I think her coach was her soul and her drive.
Excellent appraisal. Very sound advice. I wish she would not miss this comment. My grand daughter is very much what you describe here and I'm her Victor. With me she goes from thirty persentile to 80 percentile .
I believe that Rybakina seems to have a demeanor of ice and shows and expresses no emotions. But underneath she's a churning caldron of stress, pressure and sensitivity. Most of the injuries, my feelings, are psychosomatically induced and she needs to begin dealing with that influence upon herself. Maybe a coaching change might help. Someone with a totally different approach, manners, which might ease this internal struggle she seems to be generating which is very detrimental to her physical and seemingly mental state. Maybe she needs to get on to some routine like Djokovic that connects all the sum of her individual aspects into a healthy unity. Whatever it is I think she must start looking into the mirror and choose the right path to a healthy, stress free and positive self.
She and Vukov were in romantic relationships and probably he cheated her. Vukov is a baddy with Sabalenka and Kasatkina i can't believe that all this girls doesn't look some weird and bad things about his behaviour.
to me , some folks just do not have - pro sports tough bodies. I'll mention two - NBA super talent. B. Walton. NFL. Niners QB. two time SUPE winner. J. Garoppolo. Neither could play even half their teams games - over years. WHY ? who knows but I think it is a thing. back in school my best friend broke bones 4 or 5 times... we discussed exactly this. just bad luck ? in tennis. K. Muchova is the poster of ' bad luck'. She has super shotmaking ability to me Her & Rybakina are the 2 best shotmakers in WTA.,
My guess is she and her coach were doing the horizontal hokey pokey and probably had a super intense relationship which could have contributed to her ups and downs with her health, eventually culminating with their breakup at the Open. Anyway, love this channel, Christian. Keep it up!
Rubakina is one of my favourite Players. I hope she has a sustained Healthy comeback. Still do not know what 'SW 19' (sounds like a virus??!) means .. i would just call it Wimbledon.
I'm going to put it out there - I suspect she's suffered a bad reaction to the Covid shots. It's odd she keeps pulling out of tournaments and not giving explanations. I'll bet, at any rate, Elena Rybakina regrets taking the jab.
Elena needs to gain 5 kgs of muscle! The rest will follow. The angle of Vukov being toxic is speculation! Same guy was in her corner when she lifted Wimbledon. Its more to do with her physique and perhaps mentally too. Her fragile frame doesn't help to sustain mental fatigue. A robust body will not break down as easy!
