"If you're interested in Elena Rybakina's well being, why fuel rumors?" - Fans slam Rennae Stubbs' "gossipy" take after Kazakh's US Open withdrawal

Rennae Stubbs, Serena Williams' ex-coach, has suggested that Elena Rybakina may be going through something more serious than what she is letting everyone in on. Stubbs' suggestion came after the Kazakh withdrew from the 2024 US Open hours ahead of her second-round match. However, her take did not go down well with many fans.

Rybakina, having won her first-round match at the ongoing hardcourt Major, was all set to square off against French qualifier Jessika Ponchet in the second round on Thursday, August 29. However, she withdrew from the tournament, later citing an injury. The Kazakh's latest withdrawal marks the eighth time she has pulled out from a prestigious event this year.

In light of the World No. 4's shock withdrawal, Rennae Stubbs, the Australian former doubles specialist and Serena Williams' ex-coach, hinted at deeper struggles that Rybakina was not revealing.

"I just think there’s something more going on here. This is not a normal situation. I’ve seen her over the last couple of days. She hasn’t looked great," Stubbs said.

"I’ve seen her for years on the tour. I know what she looks like when she’s happy, when she’s healthy, when she’s playing well. When she’s playing well, on this surface, she’s one of if not the best player in the world. So what’s going on with her, I think it’s a lot more than we realize. This is terrible. It’s sad. She’s such a nice person. She’s so nice to be around all the time. We wish her well and hope she can find whatever she needs to," she added.

Several fans later took to X (formerly Twitter) and criticized Stubbs over what they perceived as needless speculation about Rybakina.

"Irresponsible speculation. If you’re interested in a player’s well being, why fuel rumors likely to get in the way of that well being?" a fan asked.

"“Don’t want to speculate” and then does," wrote another fan.

"Lots of gossipy speculation which is very unprofessional," another chimed in.

"What we are not going to do is speculate on an athlete’s private life. Y’all never f**king learn. If she’s injured she’ll deal with it. If it’s personal she will also deal with. Athletes are also human smfh," wrote yet another fan.

There were others who wished the best for the Kazakh going forward.

"Elena Rybakina’s repeated withdrawals and undisclosed injuries it’s heartbreaking to see. Wishing her strength and a speedy recovery," wrote one fan.

"Something is not right. I hope she gets it sorted out and comes back healthy and HAPPY! She hasn’t looked happy for months," another weighed in.

Before kickstarting her ill-fated US Open campaign, Rybakina confirmed that she would no longer be working with coach Stefano Vukov.

Elena Rybakina refused to answer elaborately to questions about her split with Stefano Vukov during a US Open press conference

Stefano Vukov (L) and Elena Rybakina (R) (Source: Getty)

Elena Rybakina's split with longtime coach Stefano Vukov ahead of the US Open raised eyebrows, and unsurprisingly, reporters at a press conference fielded questions to the Kazakh over the development. However, the World No. 4 seemed reluctant to delve too deep into matters, and provided a curt response.

"Well, I don’t want to talk about it too much but yeah, that was our decision – to split," Rybakina said.

Despite eight significant withdrawals, Elena Rybakina has had a fairly successful season. The Kazakh is in third in the WTA live race; a comfortable position in terms of her securing a place in the year-end WTA Finals.

The World No. 4 has won 40 out of 49 matches so far in the 2024 season, winning three WTA 500 events in Brisbane, Abu Dhabi and Stuttgart. Rybakina's triumph in Brisbane came without dropping a single set.

The Kazakh has had some other notable performances as well in 2024, that include reaching the final of the Miami Open and the Qatar Open, losing to Danielle Collins and Iga Swiatek, respectively.

Her best Grand Slam performance so far has been reaching the semifinals of Wimbledon, where she beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse, Laura Siegemund, Caroline Wozniacki, Anna Kalinskaya and Elina Svitolina, before losing to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova.