Newly crowned WTA Finals champion Elena Rybakina has found herself at the centre of a major controversy after being publicly criticised by tennis legend Pam Shriver for her conduct during the trophy ceremony in Saudi Arabia.
The Championship Win and Controversial Snub
Kazakhstani star Elena Rybakina secured her most significant trophy since her 2022 Wimbledon triumph with a straight-sets victory over world number one Aryna Sabalenka at the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia. The win earned her a staggering £4 million prize, one of the largest paydays in women's tennis history.
However, the celebration turned awkward when Rybakina declined to pose for the traditional champion's photograph with WTA CEO Portia Archer. While the Wimbledon champion happily posed with numerous other officials during the ceremony, she deliberately maintained her distance from Archer, creating what observers described as an uncomfortable scene.
Backlash from Tennis Icon
The player's actions prompted immediate backlash from commentator and former US Open finalist Pam Shriver, who took to social media to express her disappointment. The 63-year-old tennis legend referenced the Original Nine - the pioneering female players who broke away from tennis governing bodies in 1970 to start their own professional tour.
"Imagine winning more prize money in one tournament than the entire Original Nine over their collective careers, then dissing WTA CEO because the CEO has tried to ensure stronger safeguards in your sport... it's hard to imagine," Shriver wrote in her social media post.
Coaching Controversy Behind the Snub
The snub appears to be connected to Rybakina's coach, Stefano Vukov, who earlier this year received a 12-month suspension for violating the WTA's code of conduct. The Croatian coach, who guided Rybakina to her Wimbledon glory, successfully appealed the suspension in August and has since resumed his full coaching duties.
Questions have persisted for several years about Vukov's conduct towards Rybakina, though the player has consistently defended him. "We never had [an] issue" and "He never mistreated me," Rybakina stated when expressing her pleasure at having Vukov back working with her.
During her winner's press conference, Rybakina remained tight-lipped about her reasons for not standing with Archer but accused the WTA of poor communication regarding the Vukov situation. "I think we're all doing our job and we had the opportunity to have conversations but in the end it never happened," she explained.
Shriver had previously voiced concerns about Rybakina resuming work with Vukov, posting: "It's time for our entire sport to finally stand up to known abuse and cult like manipulations of players. This is a very sad situation and my prayers are with ER."
Despite the controversy, Rybakina described her tournament victory as "an incredible week" and admitted she "honestly didn't expect any result, to go so far is just incredible." Meanwhile, world number one Sabalenka ended her excellent season, which included a US Open triumph, in disappointment after failing to secure her first WTA Finals victory.
