Concern grows for Elena Rybakina after sudden health scare during BJK Cup

Elena Rybakina faced a difficult situation at the Billie Jean King Cup as her allergies flared up after her match, leaving her with red spots all over her face and neck. Rybakina played a key role as Kazakhstan beat Australia 2-1 in their qualifier in Brisbane.

Rybakina, ranked 10th in the world, got past Kimberly Birrell 6-3, 7-6 (4) to steer her nation to an unassailable 2-0 lead over host nation Australia, who are also the seven-time champions of the Billie Jean King Cup. Earlier, Yulia Putintseva had defeated Maya Joint to give Kazakhstan the early lead, and even though they lost the doubles fixture, it did not matter as the Kazakhs won the contest 2-1.

Rybakina’s team is placed in Group D of the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, alongside Australia and Colombia. They currently top the table and will hope to ensure their progression to the next round when they take on Colombia on Friday, April 11.

While it was a successful day for the Kazakhs on the court, there were concerns surrounding Rybakina’s health as she suffered from a bout of allergies after her match. The former Wimbledon champion appeared okay during her match, but when she attended the press conference later, her face and neck were covered with rashes.

Rybakina has had a challenging year with the controversy surrounding her coach, Stefano Vukov. The 27-year-old had reached the semifinals of the Abu Dhabi Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships but is still on the hunt for her first title of the year.

Elena Rybakina spotted with banned ex-coach Stefano Vukov ahead of BJK Cup

Elena Rybakina with coach Stefano Vukov. Source: Getty

Elena Rybakina raised eyebrows ahead of the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers as she was seen training alongside coach Stefano Vukov, who has been suspended by the WTA. Since his suspension, Vukov has not been allowed to enter official competition sites, hence, he was part of Rybakina’s pre-tournament training camp.

Rybakina uploaded a picture on Instagram with her training staff, and Vukov was also part of the snap. Her association with Vukov may lead to a controversy because the WTA suspended him in March after their investigation revealed that he had violated their Code of Conduct.

The WTA has handed him a ban, and despite the action taken against him, Rybakina has maintained that Vukov never abused her when they trained together.