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Elena Rybakina recently came under fire as tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg slammed the Kazakh's 'insolent' behavior due to her blunt responses at her press conference after her win at the first round of the 2024 French Open. However, this has left fans irate as they came out in Rybakina's defense.
During her post-match press conference, the World No. 4 told the reporters that the questions they asked were getting repetitive and lacking any uniqueness.
“The questions are quite the same, so I don’t know what to say anymore,” she said.
Rothenberg took to X (formerly Twitter) where he lambasted Rybakina's behavior as she didn't make an effort to make herself marketable and rather whined about not getting prime court slots and media.
"Oleg said it in my last RT, but honestly, for a player to whine about not getting prime court slots and media and then to be aggressively insolent in press when folks are trying to make her interesting…just a fundamental ignorance of how to succeed in the entertainment industry,"
He continued in another tweet about how this was a recurring pattern with the Kazakh, who according to Rothenberg, didn't put in any effort in her media duties.
"And this is an established pattern with Rybakina particularly, to be clear…entitlement and resentment about not thriving in this part of the job without putting in any effort to do this part of the job."
This didn't sit well with Elena Rybakina's fans who came out in her support with one fan saying how the Kazakh didn't sign up to entertain anyone and that people would watch her play because of her quality.
"Tbf she didn't sign up for entertining anybody, many people will come watch her play because she is at the top of the game and don't care she is not istagram star later on"
Another fan questioned the journalism due to the repetitive nature of the questions and how the Kazakh is facing negativity for calling it out.
""trying to make her interesting" by asking same repetitive questions again and again and again ?? LOL they don't need to make her *interesting*, we love her how she is now, also she just wants to answer some new questions, and all of a sudden y'all are furious lol"
Here are other reactions from fans lambasting the journalist.
"Journalist whining when player challenges them to come up with more interesting questions." a fan said
"without putting in any effort to do this part of the job" you're describing the journalists who are asking these inane questions over and over again. Good from Rybakina for bringing this up." a fan opined
"She's not in the entertainment industry." a fan stated
Other fans also asked why Rybakina had to be an entertaining personality being an athlete.
"So if Rybakina wants to play more often on central courts, she has to answer Ben Rotengerg’s questions nicely and with a smile, right?" a fan quipped
"I don't understand why anyone expects a top athlete to be interesting when interviewed, she has spent all her life playing tennis and is great at it," a fan said
"Ben Rothenberg, I don't care what you think are or if you read this, but leave Elena alone. She will not be used for your silly entertainment, get a real job." another fan opined
Ben Rothenberg responds to an Elena Rybakina fan claiming she is not a part of the entertainment industry
One of Elena Rybakina's fans claimed that the Kazakh wasn't a part of the entertainment industry and hence had no obligation towards the media.
"Last time I checked she’s a tennis player and not in the entertainment industry,"she wrote
Ben Rothenberg felt otherwise as he stated that tennis, like any other sport, was a part of the entertainment industry as it earned money not because the players won, but because people paid to watch them play.
"Tennis is absolutely a part of the entertainment industry, like any other spectator sport. Athletes ultimately make money not because they win, but because people are willing to pay to watch them," he responded.
After defeating Greet Minnen in straight sets in the opening round of the 2024 French Open, Elena Rybakina will take on Arantxa Rus next.
