Elena Rybakina joins elite with US Open title but questions remain over coach | Tumaini Carayol

Elena Rybakina secures US Open title, joining an elite group, yet queries persist regarding her coach | Tumaini Carayol

The ongoing connection between the newly crowned world No 1 and her formerly suspended coach, Stefano Vukov, continues to draw scrutiny despite her ascent to the top.

Following a painful straight-sets loss to Elena Rybakina in the WTA Finals last November, a distraught Aryna Sabalenka made her way to her courtside player box and dropped into a seat. She had been thoroughly dominated by her rival, an unusual and unsettling experience for such a formidable competitor, and she was furious. Sabalenka ultimately resorted to a well-known Russian saying to describe Rybakina’s seemingly unbeatable level, which she considered fortuitously timed: “Once a year, even a stick shoots,” she remarked.

That stick, as it happens, has been hitting its mark against Sabalenka in every major contest over the past year. Rybakina’s showing in Riyadh served as a clear signal, and she has commanded the hard-court grand slam events this season, overcoming Sabalenka in both the Australian Open and US Open finals.