Elena Rybakina very immediately confirmed that she deliberately refused to take an image with WTA CEO Portia Archer and recommended that the connection between her workforce and the WTA authorities is strained.
After sealing a 6-3 7-6 (0) win over Aryna Sabalenka and touchdown her first WTA Finals title, Rybakina was joined on the rostrum by her rival but in addition WTA CEO Archer. Evidently, the 26-year-old Kazakh didn't like Archer's presence a bit, swiftly eradicating herself from the WTA CEO.
Whereas Rybakina's transfer immediately went viral and drew main consideration, there was zero doubt about why she determined to drag off such a transfer – the Kazakh strongly defended Stefano Vukov over abuse allegations however the WTA nonetheless proceeded to ban her coach earlier this 12 months.
Rybakina refused to take a pic subsequent to the WTA CEO? 👀 pic.twitter.com/A92ps4LLYl
— Lorena Popa 🕵️♀️🎾 (@popalorena) November 8, 2025
Rybakina: We had an opportunity to talk it didn't occur…
To nobody's shock, the 2022 Wimbledon champion was requested to deal with the controversial Riyadh scene. And when doing so, the 26-year-old appeared to counsel that she has no intention of fixing something with the WTA.
"I feel we're all doing our job and we had the chance to have conversations however in the long run it by no means occurred so we're all doing our job and I feel we're going to maintain it this fashion," Rybakina mentioned, by way of Reem Abulleil.
Rybakina on whether or not she has had talks with the WTA to clear the air after they suspended her coach: "We had the chance to have conversations however in the long run it by no means occurred so we're all doing our job and I feel we're going to maintain it this fashion."https://t.co/CaIJiJT7zE
— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) November 8, 2025
Throughout the summer season, Vukov appealed the WTA's one-year ban. The Croatian tennis coach's enchantment was profitable and he returned to Rybakina's workforce simply earlier than the US Open. It positively impacted the Kazakh's tennis, who gained Ningbo and the WTA Finals over the previous 20 days.
