"Elena Rybakina's not a serious player" - Fans baffled by Kazakh's practice session on 'terrible' court ahead of BJK Cup Qualifiers

Elena Rybakina was recently spotted training on a claycourt of questionable quality in Dubai, raising several tennis fans' eyebrows. The fans unsurprisingly questioned the Kazakh over her choice of practice court. Interestingly, Rybakina's next competitive outing is set to come at the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers, which will take place on an outdoor hardcourt.

On Wednesday, April 2, a video surfaced on X, showing Rybakina hitting on a claycourt in Dubai. The court appeared shoddy and not what people typically expect an elite-level WTA player to practice on.

Upon seeing the videos, many fans were bewildered, with some opining that Elena Rybakina isn't taking her career as seriously as she should. Some suggested that the Kazakh's results in the upcoming European claycourt swing would be subpar, considering her choice of practice court in Dubai.

"Yeah those R2 exits in clay are coming... she's not a serious player," one fan wrote.

"These courts, girl be serious😭😭😭😭," commented another.

"Clever girl. She knows they'll put her on the parking lots throughout the clay swing. She's getting used to the court conditions and crowd size," another fan sarcastically chimed in.

Some fans alleged that Croatian coach Stefano Vukov made Rybakina practice on the seemingly poor-quality court. Vukov and Rybakina have endured a turbulent few months. While the coach led her to the 2022 Wimbledon crown, an official WTA investigation led to him being banned indefinitely from the tour for breaching WTA's Code of Conduct. There have also been serious allegations of abuse against Vukov.

"Ugh, willing to train on that terrible court for you know who. What will it take at this point. 😞😔😒," wrote one fan.

"This is so sad to see...she is training in a place that we have to believe is a clay court...even anybody's playground will be far better than this. this gives me the feeling that she is trapped in a prison & have no access to outside world like a slave and he owns her. pls help," another added.

"Me trying to find V*kov," weighed in yet another fan with a GIF.

Rybakina's on-court performances in 2025 have been concerning, leading to her slipping down the WTA Tour rankings.

Elena Rybakina was ranked as high as No. 5 in January this year; she currently finds herself barely hanging on to her top 10 status

Elena Rybakina (Source: Getty)

In 2024, Elena Rybakina ended the season as the World No. 6, and she began the 2025 season well under the tutelage of coach Goran Ivanisevic. At the Australian Open in January this year, the 25-year-old reached the fourth round before being ousted by eventual champion Madison Keys. This helped her climb one spot on the WTA Tour rankings.

However, since then, erratic and inconsistent on-court performances have led to her being on the wrong end of several upsets. For instance, at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, she was stunned by an unseeded Belinda Bencic in the semifinals. Rybakina herself was the top seed at the tournament.

Another shock came her way at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where teenage prodigy and eventual champion Mirra Andreeva stunned her in the semifinals. Andreeva again got the better of the Kazakh in the fourth round of the 2025 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Most recently, at the Miami Open, Elena Rybakina fell to a humbling defeat in her opening match. These results have taken a toll on her ranking, with the former No. 3 now being ranked at No. 10.