"Serena Williams used to take fine, Elena Rybakina gets it free": Tennis fans react as journalists snub World No. 4 amid French Open press controversy

Tennis fans recently reacted to Elena Rybakina getting snubbed by journalists because of the press controversy that unfolded at the 2024 French Open. The Kazakh was not invited to participate in a press conference by the attending journalists despite her second-round victory at the clay court Major.

Seeded fourth, Rybakina kicked off her campaign in Paris with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Belgian Greet Minnen in the first round. However, her demeanor during the subsequent post-match press conference raised eyebrows. Rybakina appeared to be in a sour mood, offering curt and seemingly disinterested responses to the journalists' inquiries.

"I mean, simple question, simple answers. So, guys, something else?" Rybakina had said.

Following that, Elena Rybakina was not requested by the French Open media for a press conference after her second-round victory over Arantxa Rus. The Kazakh defeated the Dutch 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and seven minutes to advance to the third round.

This decision by the journalists sparked reactions from tennis fans on social media. One fan stated that Rybakina was intentionally rude because she wanted to avoid press conferences.

"So in the end she got what she wanted lol but had to go about it in a rude way," the fan posted on Reddit.

Another stated that she "pissed off" the journalists with her attitude and demeanor.

"She pissed them off yikes," a fan posted.

Many fans stated that similar to Rybakina, other players like Venus and Serena Williams have also expressed their dislike for press conferences.

"Serena [Williams] used to take the fine for not wanting to go to press, Rybakina gets it free. lol," a fan wrote.

"I don’t think she will lose any sleep. She is tall, slender, pretty and a great player. She will be fine. I hope the press continues to ‘snub’ her. Serena and Venus [Williams] couldn’t stand these pressers either," a fan posted.

Some fans pointed out that Elena Rybakina will not be too concerned about missing out on press conferences.

"I think she's happy about that but it's a shame from journalists. I think they feel untouchable from critics," a fan posted.

"Acting like this was some kind of punishment for her when she was probably thrilled lol," a fan wrote.

"I’m sure Elena won’t have much heartache from this. People forget she’s reserved + doesn’t prefer being in the spotlight. Yes, this might affect the non-fans’ opinion of her, but I think ppl were overreacting from the start. Rooting for her even more now to win that RG trophy!" a fan posted.

Elena Rybakina will face Elise Mertens in the third round at French Open 2024

Elena Rybakina will go up against 26th seed Elise Mertens in the third round of the 2024 French Open.

Mertens kicked off her campaign at Roland Garros by defeating unseeded Argentine Maria Lourdes Carle 6-3, 7-6 (8) in the first round, followed by a victory over Petra Martic 6-4, 6-3 in the second round.

Rybakina and Mertens have crossed paths five times on the WTA Tour, with the World No. 4 emerging victorious in four of those encounters. Their most recent clash was in the third round of the 2024 Brisbane International, where Rybakina overcame the Belgian with a score of 6-1, 6-0, and then eventually claimed the title.

The upcoming match between Elena Rybakina and Elise Mertens at the 2024 French Open will mark their sixth meeting on the tour.