Tennis influencer Rachel Stuhlmann reveals coaching role with Varvara Lepchenko, social media

Social media influencer Rachel Stuhlmann has revealed she received a "last-minute" call to coach Varvara Lepchenko at this year's Australian Open.

The former LSU tennis player, who has amassed over 300,000 Instagram followers, had planned on attending the first grand slam of the year to shoot content for her personal pursuits in Melbourne.

However, in the midst of the qualifying draw last week, she received a plea from her friend Lepchenko regarding a potential coaching role.

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Stuhlmann would then apply for accreditation and was green-lit to fill the position.

"I came to the Australian Open with my own plans - a few work commitments around the tournament but mostly to enjoy the AO experience for the first time," she said.

Tennis influencer Rachel Stuhlmann received a coaching accreditation. Getty/Instagram

"Earlier today I got a call from a good friend of mine asking if I could step in as their last-minute coach for this year's event. I'm beyond excited for the chance to get on the AO courts and support her in any way I can.

"You never really know what opportunities will come your way at these events, and this one is definitely a fun one for me.

"I'm all in. Here's to making in the main."

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Lepchenko's hopes of going deep into the tournament were almost certainly dashed after she failed to make it out of the qualifiers.

The 38-year-old American, however, could still get the call-up to play at Melbourne Park this week as a lucky loser.

Should any player withdraw before their round one match, Lepchenko could be brought into the fold as she was only eliminated in the final round of qualifying, giving her new coach Stuhlmann a glimmer of hope to appear in the main draw.

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