Elena Rybakina Ends Title Drought in Strasbourg

Eyes on the Top 10 and the French Open

Now ranked No. 11 in the world and No. 8 in the Race to the WTA Finals, Rybakina seems poised to launch a new chapter of her season. The victory in Strasbourg not only boosts her confidence but also positions her as a genuine contender as the clay-court season reaches its climax in Paris.

Her French Open draw, however, presents several hurdles. Despite Belinda Bencic’s withdrawal—which gives Rybakina a first-round match against Argentine qualifier Julia Riera—her projected route is anything but easy. She could face two former Roland Garros champions early on: Jelena Ostapenko in the third round and Iga Swiatek in the fourth.

Yet, Rybakina has shown her ability to shine in Paris, reaching the quarterfinals both in 2021—when she defeated Serena Williams—and again in 2024. Moreover, she has beaten both Ostapenko and Swiatek on clay in previous encounters.

The Strasbourg final, which lasted 2 hours and 16 minutes, was largely one-sided—except for the second set. Samsonova only came close in that middle stretch, leading 5-3 and earning set points at 6-5 before ultimately edging the tiebreak. Outside of that, it was all Rybakina, who served up two “breadsticks” (6-1, 6-1), asserting her superiority from start to finish.

Rybakina’s Controversial Speech

Rybakina’s victory speech during the trophy ceremony attracted just as much attention as her performance on court. “Davide, you’re here alone, but I have a good and big team,” she said, referring to her current coach Davide Sanguinetti. Then she added: “Thank you to my fitness coach, physio, Stefano, and of course thank you to my family and all the sponsors for your support.”

“Stefano” refers to Stefano Vukov, Rybakina’s former coach who was handed a one-year suspension by the WTA for violating the code of conduct. The suspension followed an investigation into claims of verbal abuse toward Rybakina. Vukov has denied all allegations, and Rybakina has never publicly criticized him—on the contrary, she has continued working with him discreetly.

This unconventional partnership has had ripple effects, notably leading to the early resignation of Goran Ivanisevic as her coach. Ivanisevic left after just one month, following the Australian Open. During the tournament in Melbourne, Vukov was barred from entering the grounds, including practice courts, match courts, and even the player’s box.