“If I saw my coach constantly gesturing things I’m doing wrong, I’d LOSE MY MIND” – Serena Williams’ ex-coach on Elena Rybakina’s coach in Miami final

During the 2024 Miami Open final, Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs has spoken out against the behavior of Stefano Vukov, coach of Elena Rybakina.

Despite being the runner-up in the previous year, Rybakina was unable to secure her first Miami Open title as she suffered a second straight sets defeat in the final. In an intense final lasting two hours and two minutes, Danielle Collins put on a remarkable display to claim a 7-5, 6-3 win and earn her first WTA 1000 title in her final season on tour.

Despite the captivating on-court match, Rennae Stubbs was particularly drawn to the behavior of Elena Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov during the final. She found Vukov’s constant gesturing and focus on Rybakina’s mistakes to be bothersome.

The Australian expressed that if she were in Rybakina’s position, witnessing her coach behave in such a manner would drive her to “lose her mind.”

“Legit if i looked over and saw my coach constantly gesturing the things I’m doing wrong, i would LOSE MY MIND! @MiamiOpen,”she posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Stubbs agreed with a fan’s criticism of Vukov’s “astounding negativity,”further emphasizing her stance on the matter.

“His negativity is nothing short of astounding. Does make me wonder on her level if she had someone actually uplifting. To think she’s this good with THAT going on,”the fan commented.

“Yep,”Stubbs replied.

Stefano Vukov has a history of facing criticism for his treatment of Elena Rybakina. The Croatian has consistently faced scrutiny for his behavior during the Kazakh’s matches, with his latest controversy coming at the 2024 Australian Open when he was accused of engaging in a heated exchange with the 24-year-old.

Elena Rybakina Reflects on Miami Open Final Loss and Consistency Achievements with Her Team

Despite her defeat to Danielle Collins in the Miami Open final, Elena Rybakina remained optimistic. During the trophy ceremony, the Kazakh player expressed her appreciation to her coaching team for their crucial role in her consecutive appearance in the final of the WTA 1000 event.

The World No. 4 also acknowledged that she and her team were not anticipating a spot in the final in Miami, having faced an illness that had caused her to withdraw from the Indian Wells Open.

“Second year and it’s a final, it’s a great result, some consistency, so thank you so much team. We didn’t expect coming here to be in the final, to be honest, but it was a great two weeks, a lot of tough matches, great battles,”Rybakina said.

“And thank you so much to the fans for their support throughout these two weeks. It was really amazing and you give energy, you give fighting in all these tough matches,”she added.

To conclude, Elena Rybakina humbly extended her congratulations to Danielle Collins and her team for the impressive victory at the WTA 1000 event.

“Of course I want to congratulate Danielle with the great two weeks, great matches. You played here great tennis, for sure. Of course your team also,”she said.