Elena Rybakina‘s controversial association with ex-coach Stefano Vukov is turning out to be a domino effect. Earlier this month, the WTA extended its ban over the Croatian due to his toxic behavior towards the Kazakh player. However, she still remains adamant on defending him saying “he never mistreated me”. While the tennis world was going through this shocking saga already, another disturbing story has surfaced involving Canadian star and World No.28 Leylah Fernandez. It comes following a massive revelation over Fernandez’s father, by a former WTA pro. And tennis fans are furious with him!On Tuesday, in an interaction with Kicker, dated February 25, the ex-Austrian player and Eurosport expert Barbara Schett expressed her honest thoughts on the Rybakina-Vukov situation. She stated that Goran Ivanisevic alleged Rybakina and Vukov had a private relationship, following reports of them sharing a hotel room in Melbourne during the Australian Open. The former World No.7 said,“In my opinion, he subjected Elena to complete brainwashing. You can see how he treats her and how he speaks to her. Things escalated at the 2024 US Open and the team and family tried to remove him. We know that she 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.” But she had more to say on this subject, regarding other WTA players’ experiences. Enter Leylah Fernandez.Bringing up the Canadian, she revealed, “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.”While many might not be aware of it already, Leylah’s father, Jorge Fernandez, is her coach as well. But guess what? He doesn’t have a tennis background, being a former semi-professional footballer. Originally from Ecuador, he moved to Canada as a child where he began taking interest in coaching. Although he had no experience of the racket sport, he decided to work with his daughters Bianca and Leylah. The latter has never publicly shared any concerns regarding her father. She’s yet to share a response on Schett’s remarks. However, it appears Jorge’s toxic on-court behavior has been spotted by several tennis pros.Interview of Barbara Schett, ex Austrian player, end of 90’s and early 00’s.She spoke about Elena Rybakina situation, said she had some talks with Goran Ivanisevic about the situation.Link of the full interview:https://t.co/kCdmItQ6q8 pic.twitter.com/8gIhudpiBw— Sebastien G. (@sebsharfam2) February 25, 2025Continuing further, she added, “Leylah was on the other side. He was always talking, ‘C’mon, c’mon,’ before I started to return. That’s why I think I lost the game when I was 30-Love because I was a little bit distracted”With Schett’s comments on Jorge, fans on social media are baffled over him. So what are they saying?Fans call out Leylah Fernandez’s father while urging for an ‘investigation’On X, tennis lovers seem to be extremely disturbed by this news. One user couldn’t believe what Schett claimed and wrote, “This is so incredibly messy and sad. Leylah’s father be talking crazy?!” The Canadian player has mostly admired her father publicly. Remember how she gave credit to him during her Australian Open campaign two years ago?After her first round victory against Frenchwoman Alizé Cornet 7-5 6-2, she said, “For me, the mental to the physical is three to one. Mental is extremely important,” reported Reuters in January 2023. “I’m very grateful my parents, especially my dad, has reinforced that.” Continuing further, she added, “He hasn’t really taught me about tennis or technique but more of the mental side of the sport. I’m just happy he taught me those values from a young age and that I was able to kind of implement that now.” Another user struggled to believe the shocking update of Jorge. They wrote, “Fernandez??? The father always seemed so sweet in interviews what is going on” Looking at what’s going on with Rybakina already, one fan expressed their concerns for the Canadian star. “LEYLAH TOO? Oh, please Lord, protect my faves from bad people no one deserves this ““This is so sad”, wrote an individual while showcasing their frustration. First Rybakina, and now Fernandez. The WTA scene is witnessing a lot of unseen stuff. Take for example, Donna Vekic‘s case.Apart from Fernandez, Barbara Schett also shed light on the Croatian’s struggles. The former Austrian proclaimed that Vekic’s father even beat her. “I would probably never have said anything because I thought he would k—me.” She added, “It was perhaps a little different with Dokic than with Rybakina because she was also beaten, but in your mid-20s you may not yet know what is really going on.”Meanwhile, one fan urged for a strict action by the WTA in Fernandez’s case. “I hope WTA has opened an investigation against Leylah’s dad. When Zheng Qinwen called him out during that match, that should have sounded the alarm.” Remember last season’s Wuhan Open? During the fourth round, Qinwen Zheng pointed out how Jorge was being too loud to Fernandez.During their match, when the latter won the first set and the score was leveled 1-1 in the second, Zheng was involved in a conversation with Fernandez’s box. It included her father as well. But the Canadian didn’t like her intervention and was visibly furious. Later, when was asked about the heated exchange in a post-match conference, Zheng revealed, “Actually, I was distracted in the first set by what [Fernandez’s father] was saying,” reported Tennis Update on October 12, 2024.What are your thoughts about Leylah Fernandez’s situation? Are you shocked as well? Let us know in the comments below.The post “Incredibly Messy”: Leylah Fernandez’s Silent Struggle With Her Father Exposed as Ex-WTA Star’s Claims Spark Baffled Fan Reactions appeared first on EssentiallySports.