WTA Finals Riyadh 11/1 - 11/8 2025

[ponchi101]

No picture with the CEO.
Wooo...

[dryrunguy]

So, to clarify...

New WTA Tour Finals champion Elena Rybakina declined a photo with WTA Tour chief executive Portia Archer during Saturday's trophy ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the wake of the tour's investigation into her coach, Stefano Vukov.

Full article: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/679004 ... ano-vukov/

[ashkor87]

I boycotted Riyadh so not commenting...except that it is great to see Rybakina confident and positive...!

[mick1303]

Taking a public bold and controversial move - refusing to take pictures with WTA CEO for me does not look like a psychological profile of abuse victim. But what do I know...

[ponchi101]

I boycotted Riyadh so not commenting...except that it is great to see Rybakina confident and positive...!

You made your position clear, and more than respect for that. So my reply is solely based on the tennis.
You missed some quality tennis from Elena. The score from the final does not reflect how well she was playing. Just for starters, she hit 13 aces, which is high. And there were so many service winners.
I also said that she hits the flatest ball I have ever seen. Well, yesterday, against Aryna, she hit many shots which were high and with spin. So, it seems she can hit the ball with spin and height, but she chooses not to.
Of course, I have zero faith that she will carry on with this form. She may now go on a Garbi/Petra streak and not win squat for two years. But if she continues to play like this, she will challenge at the Aussie.

[jazzyg]

When Rybakina is playing at the top of her game, as she did throughout Riyadh, I often wonder how she ever loses.

Often, though, she loses the same match where I have that feeling. A very mystifying player.

[skatingfan]

Taking a public bold and controversial move - refusing to take pictures with WTA CEO for me does not look like a psychological profile of abuse victim. But what do I know...

That seems exactly what an abuse victim would do. They wouldn't want to do anything publicly that could be perceived as siding against the abuser.

[ponchi101]

And at the same time, she publicly shuns the top boss of her organization because, you know, that is exactly what a meek person does.
If she admits she is being abused, she is being abused. And if she does not admit she is being abused, it is because the abuser has such control over her that she will not admit it.
The possibility that she is not being abused is off the table, a priori.

[Owendonovan]

I'm curious who else advises her.

[ti-amie]

[skatingfan]

And at the same time, she publicly shuns the top boss of her organization because, you know, that is exactly what a meek person does.
If she admits she is being abused, she is being abused. And if she does not admit she is being abused, it is because the abuser has such control over her that she will not admit it.

The point being that it's really easy to draw conclusions from behaviour that fit any narrative we want.

The possibility that she is not being abused is off the table, a priori.

The WTA had received multiple reports of abusive, and inappropriate language from Vukov to Rybakina over the course of several years from people independent of the situation. Rybakina fires Vukov at the US Open in 2024. Members of her team report to the WTA that Vukov tried to call, and message Rybakina repeatedly, and refused to leave her hotel They expressed to the WTA a fear for Rybakina's safety. The WTA implements a provisional suspension, and begins an investigation. The investigation concludes at the Australian Open, and a suspension for 1 year is imposed for abuse of authority and abusive conduct. Vukov appeals the suspension to an arbitrator, and the WTA lifts the suspension after Wimbledon, but no reason has been given.

[ptmcmahon]

A one second wave to a camera is the "happiest we've seen her so long?"

[ponchi101]

For her, that is an absolute outburst of emotions.
Remember when she won Wimby? I show more emotion when I don't double fault...

[ti-amie]

[mick1303]

The "believe woman" only applies if they are denouncing, but if they are saying their are not victims, then the "believe woman" people are the first to jump and victimizing them.