Maximum tension between Rybakina and Ostapenko: “You are a bitch”

It has not been a quiet period on the WTA circuit. To the permanent tension between Russian and Ukrainian players due to the war, we must add the clashes that appear more and more often between players during matches.

We live the last example this Friday on the occasion of the second semifinal of the Premier 1000 in Rome. Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko met in a high-voltage duel that went in favor of the Wimbledon champion 6-2, 6-4.

The Latvian, number 20, was helpless against a Rybakina who insisted on her favorite mark and he showed again the good tennis he plays in this tournament despite the fact that he had to come back from 1-4 in the second round.

The rain allied itself with the Kazakhs, who requested a stoppage of play when it began to rain lightly at 2-4. That detail didn’t like an Ostapenko who returned to the track so off-center to finish giving the remaining four games.

The Latvian’s anger was palpable, as was clear when they congratulated each other after the game. After shaking hands, Rybakina was surprised and told the chair umpire to pay attention to what her opponent said.

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The images do not show what Ostapenko said, but a few moments later andRybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov cleared our doubts with commentary captured by surrounding microphones.

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“You are a fox. You said you were gay in front of me”, the Croatian coach assured the rest of the staff.

Well, at least there is a welcome here, because in the first semifinal the Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina did not shake hands with her opponent, the Russian Veronika Kudermetovaat the end of the meeting for fighting the war.

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“We didn’t shake hands because she’s from Russia, basically. It’s no secret why I didn’t do it, it’s because this country is attacking Ukraine“He announced in a press conference after the victory.

“It’s sport, I understand, but it’s also a political thing. So nothing personal. But in general, it’s not acceptable.”

“All my family is now in kyiv. A few days ago, where my family works, because my mom and dad are tennis coaches, a big bomb fell near them, near their academy“, he concluded.