Elena Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov is back after WTA lifts suspension

The WTA has confirmed that the ban on Elena Rybakina’s coach, Stefano Vukov, has been lifted after he was suspended for almost a year for alleged mistreatment against the player. The 2022 Wimbledon champion can once again count on the Croatian coach in her team's box.

The relationship between Rybakina and Vukov has been full of speculation and drew attention after reports of alleged verbal abuse by the coach surfaced. Rybakina announced in 2024 that she was separating from Vukov a few days before the start of the US Open, and speculation skyrocketed amid a semester where Rybakina barely played a handful of tournaments.

It was speculated that part of Rybakina's physical and health problems may have had to do with the difficult time she was having in her relationship with her coach. There was unofficial talk of 'pressure, insults, and foul language.'

The Rybakina-Vukov saga

The 2022 Wimbledon champion hired Goran Ivanisevic at the end of 2024, but the partnership quickly took a turn as Rybakina announced on January 1, 2025, that Vukov was rejoining her team. However, Vukov faced a provisional suspension while the first investigations into the reports of mistreatment were carried out, so he was prohibited from accessing venues that hosted WTA tournaments or any of its associations (ATP, ITF, etc.).

Nevertheless, Vukov traveled to Melbourne and supported Rybakina from a distance. Amid doubts about the role of Ivanišević—who was making his first appearance as a coach after separating from Novak Djokovic—he ultimately left the team due to Rybakina's insistence on having Vukov, while she declared that she had never received mistreatment from Vukov, who has worked with Rybakina since 2019.

The WTA confirmed in February—shortly after the Australian Open—that Vukov was suspended for a period of 12 months, although it did not give an official statement on the facts in which he was involved, leaving the speculation to continue. One of the harshest phrases that became public, supposedly said by Vukov, was: "Without me, you would be in Russia picking potatoes," as well as insults like "stupid" and "retarded."

Rybakina gets her coach back: Vukov's suspension is officially over

However, events have taken another turn, after the WTA confirmed that the suspension on Vukov has been lifted. As detailed by New York Times, Stefano Vukov had filed an appeal and entered into private arbitration, which took place before Wimbledon a month ago.

"The WTA is fully committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for all athletes and other participants, as set out in our WTA Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Code," the WTA announced in a statement. "Any sanctions issued following a breach of these safeguarding rules are carefully considered and are subject to appeal before an independent tribunal. While case details remain confidential, we can confirm that Mr. Vukov is eligible to receive credentials at WTA events. We will not be commenting further."