Elena Rybakina Stood by Her Man
After her big win in Melbourne, the Australian Open champion spoke about the "very unpleasant experience" of the investigation into her coach Stefano Vukov.
MELBOURNE, Australia — There are two moments from Elena Rybakina’s resounding comeback win over Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday night’s Australian Open final that I think I will remember for a long time.
The first was a backhand that Rybakina cracked down the line trailing 3-1, 15-30 in the critical fifth game of the third set. Falling to her left as she hit the shot, Rybakina used her left arm to pull the two-handed shot back into the court. When it landed well inside the lines of the open corner of Sabalenka’s court for a clean winner to set up break point, Rybakina curled that left hand into a rare fist pump.
Rybakina converted that ensuing break point to turn the momentum fully in her favor; after losing five straight games to lose the second set and go down 0-3 in the third, Rybakina won five games in a row to put herself up 5-3. She served out the victory on her first attempt with an ace, sealing a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory for her second major title. She smiled slightly and clenched her fist, which is as big a celebration as you’ll ever see from her.
The second moment, which I know for certain will linger, happened in the trophy ceremony: Stefano Vukov, Rybakina’s longtime coach, walking up onto the AO-shaped rostrum to accept the trophy which the tournament presents to the champion’s coach.
That stage might’ve only been a few short steps away for Vukov during Saturday night’s ceremony, but it was a remarkable milestone for his journey and Rybakina’s: only one year ago at the Australian Open, Vukov was banned from setting foot on the tournament grounds whatsoever.
To read more of the past, present, and future of Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina’s much-discussed relationship with her coach Stefano Vukov, please subscribe to Bounces! -Ben
“Any situation like that knocks you off-balance. And it was a very unpleasant experience. But I learned a lot from it.”
—Elena Rybakina, after her Australian Open win, on the consequences of the investigation into Vukov.
