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Former tennis pro Barbara Schett has made some disturbing claims against Leylah Fernandez’s father and coach, Jorge Fernandez. Her comments come amid the controversy surrounding Elena Rybakina and her former coach, Stefano Vukov.<\/p>\n
Rybakina and Vukov’s situation has been a major talking point for months, with troubling details surfacing about his treatment of her. Reports suggest their relationship extended beyond a professional level, and he was verbally abusive, causing her significant distress. While he remains part of her team, he has been banned by the WTA from coaching professionally for a year.<\/p>\n
In a recent interview with Kicker<\/em> magazine, Schett backed Vukov\u2019s ban, calling his treatment of Rybakina<\/a> completely unacceptable. She also accused Fernandez\u2019s father, Jorge, of behaving in an \u201cinsane\u201d manner, urging that he be called out soon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/template><\/p>\n “We know that she (Rybakina) has major ups and downs mentally, probably because of him. He definitely abused her mentally and that’s why I think it’s right that he was banned from the WTA,” Schett said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n She added:<\/p>\n “I am also curious to see what happens to Leylah Fernandez’s father because the way he treats his daughter is insane… It is terrible that something like this still exists today and is sometimes accepted.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Fernandez and her sister Bianca have been coached by their father, Jorge, since childhood. A former soccer player with no tennis background, he still played a crucial role in his daughter’s rise, leading her to the 2021 US Open final, where she finished runner-up to Emma Raducanu.<\/p>\n The allegations made by Barbara Schett against Leylah Fernandez’s father, Jorge, have never been raised by the Canadian herself or anyone from her team. On the contrary, she has consistently credited her father for her success, touching on his role in building her mental toughness.<\/p>\n Fernandez<\/a> told the reporters during the 2023 Australian Open:<\/p>\n “For me, the mental to the physical is three to one. Mental is extremely important. I\u2019m very grateful my parents, especially my dad, has reinforced that.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n She added:<\/p>\n “He hasn\u2019t really taught me about tennis or technique but more of the mental side of the sport. Because it\u2019s hard. You\u2019re all alone out there on the court. Most of the time you don\u2019t have a coach with you, or the coach can\u2019t talk to you during points.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n “You have to figure some things out, you have to be your own cheerleader, own biggest critic, own biggest supporter. I\u2019m just happy he taught me those values from a young age and that I was able to kind of implement that now,” she continued. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n The only controversy involving Jorge Fernandez occurred during the 2024 Wuhan Open, during his daughter’s match against Zheng Qinwen. The Chinese player complained<\/a> that Jorge’s constant cheering for Leylah was distracting and disrupting her rhythm.<\/p>\nLeylah Fernandez has never raised an issue with father Jorge\u2019s coaching<\/h2>\n
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