Leylah Fernandez's Father Accused Of 'Insane' Treatment Of Her By Former Player
News
Eurosport presenter and former WTA player Barbara Schett caused a shock with a comment about Leylah Fernandez's father in an interview.
The topic of player welfare and how WTA stars, in particular, get treated has been in the headlines for months because of Elena Rybakina's ongoing saga involving her former coach, Stefano Vukov.
Despite Rybakina insisting that Vukov never mistreated her, the WTA banned the Croatian for a year after finding several instances of the Croatian saying and doing shocking things to the 2022 Wimbledon champion.
Schett spoke out about that situation during an interview with Kicker. She believes that Vukov has brainwashed Rybakina and also mentioned that Goran Ivanisevic found it difficult as her coach because Rybakina and her former coach are in a romantic relationship.
During the same interview, Schett made a startling admission about Leylah Fernandez's father. The presenter claims that the way he treats his daughter is insane, and it should not be allowed to continue.
"I'm also curious to see what happens to Leylah Fernandez's father because the way he treats his daughter is insane... It's terrible that something like this still exists today and is sometimes accepted."
Schett's comment caused surprise since there have not been widespread rumors about Fernandez's father mistreating her. In fact, she has spoken many times about him having a positive impact on her career.
Although the details were not as clear until now, some worried about Vukov being abusive for years because of the harsh comments he often made to Rybakina during matches. That led to fears that he would be even worse behind the scenes.
The same cannot be said of Fernandez's father. If he has been abusing or mistreating the 2021 US Open runner-up in the way Schett indicates, it has been hidden well from the media until the revelation from the former player.
Fernandez has yet to comment on Schett's remark. She will likely be asked about it at her next tournament, the 2025 Indian Wells Open. Schett might have put her in an awkward position by unexpectedly going public.
It is impossible to know how Fernandez will react. The fact she has never spoken about her father acting in that way might indicate she will defend him, but no one can be absolutely certain of that.
Fernandez is set to be one of dozens of players in action at next week's Indian Wells Open. Coco Gauff will hope to end her three-match losing streak on home soil in California after a disappointing Middle Eastern swing.
There is also a fascinating race for the No. 1 ranking between Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. The Belarusian is currently in the driving seat and could open up a larger lead because Swiatek is defending many points as last year's champion.
On the men's side, Carlos Alcaraz is the two-time defending champion. The challenge of winning a third consecutive title at the tournament has been made slightly easier by ATP world No. 1 Jannik Sinner being unable to play due to being suspended until May 4th.
