"'Why the f**k are you talking Italian?' She's tired of his a**" - Fans react to Elena Rybakina's argument with coach Stefano Vukov in French Open QF

Elena Rybakina's frustrations boiled over in an interaction with her coach, Stefano Vukov, during her shock loss in the quarterfinals of the 2024 French Open. Given the Kazakh's typically composed demeanor on the court, the fiery confrontation sparked a discussion among tennis fans.

On the hunt for her maiden semifinal spot at the French Open, fourth seed Rybakina took on No. 12 seed Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals. Despite entering the contest as the clear favorite, the World No. 4 found herself outplayed by Paolini in the opening set.

Although Rybakina forced a decider by clinching the second set, the Italian held her nerve to secure a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory and reach her maiden Grand Slam semifinal. The Kazakh's performance was marred by her error-prone display, as she recorded 48 unforced errors.

In a tense moment during the clash, Elena Rybakina's coach Stefano Vukov attempted to encourage the Kazakh, yelling 'Andiamo,' which means 'let's go' in Italian.

However, the 24-year-old appeared incensed by Vukov's remark, heatedly questioning why he was speaking in Italian.

"Why the f**k are you talking in Italian?" she said.

Several fans shared Elena Rybakina's frustration, expressing confusion over why Vukov would choose to communicate in her opponent Jasmine Paolini's native tongue.

"I'm sincerely trying to stand this civilian but why on earth would you speak to your player in your opponent's language?" the fan questioned.

"Was he talking to Paolini at that moment. lol 😆 drama city today in Paris," one fan joked.

"At this point is Vukov helping or hindering Elena? That was bad," wrote another.

Highlighting the 24-year-old's typically composed demeanor, one fan joked that this was the Kazakh's equivalent of Novak Djokovic's intense outbursts directed at his box.

"For her, this is the equivalent to Novak screaming while that vein in his forehead pops...," the fan posted.

Given Vukov's history of sparking outrage with his conduct in the World No. 4's matches, coupled with Rybakina's occasional displays of annoyance with his behavior, several fans also suggested that she was getting tired of his antics and even urged her to fire him.

""Why the fck you talking Italian?" Oh i just know she's tired of his nasty a$$," one fan wrote.

"She really hates this guy. Now every tournament I’ve seen them she looks like she wants to die every time he talks to her," another fan commented.

"Fire him, Lena. Come on, you know this is the last straw. Fire his a** once and for all!" said another.

Elena Rybakina after French Open QF loss: "It’s not the greatest day in the office; I was close, but Jasmine Paolini won"

Following her loss, Elena Rybakina admitted that it wasn't her greatest day on the court, while also graciously commending Jasmine Paolini on her impressive performance.

"Well, yeah, it’s definitely not the greatest day. She played really well. She started much better. She was moving good. I started a bit slow, and she was aggressive from the first ball," Elena Rybakina said in her post-match press conference.

"Then I was just trying to find my game, which was always I would step back and I was trying to fight through, but in the end, yeah, as you say, it’s not the greatest day in the office. I was close, but she won," she added.

Nevertheless, the World No. 4 expressed satisfaction with her overall form, expressing hope for it to persist throughout the season. She also declared her intention to shift her focus to the grasscourt season, with Wimbledon on the horizon.

"For now I’m pretty happy, and if I can continue like this until the end of the year it’s going to be not bad for sure. In the end I just, yeah, need to focus now on the grass season," she said.

Elena Rybakina has enjoyed success at the Wimbledon Championships, winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the grasscourt Major in 2022. The Kazakh also reached the quarterfinals last year, where she lost to eventual runner-up Ons Jabeur.