Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, has defended her former coach Stefano Vukov amid an investigation by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) into allegations of misconduct. Vukov has been suspended from the tour pending the outcome of the investigation, which concerns possible violations of the WTA’s code of conduct.
Rybakina, who worked with Vukov as her primary coach for five years until their split in August 2024, stated that she had never experienced any mistreatment from him. “He never mistreated me, and it was never anything like that,” she said, emphasizing her respect for him and the success they achieved together, including her rise from being ranked 200th to winning a Grand Slam and reaching the top levels of the sport.
Despite the suspension, Rybakina announced that Vukov would be rejoining her team, though his exact role was not specified. He is expected to accompany her to Melbourne for the Australian Open but will not have access to private player areas due to his provisional suspension.
Rybakina’s decision to bring Vukov back to her team has drawn criticism from some in the tennis community, including former doubles champion Pam Shriver. Shriver, who currently coaches Donna Vekic, voiced concern about Vukov’s coaching methods, calling for the sport to confront what she described as “abuse and cult-like manipulations.” In response, Rybakina expressed her disappointment with the comments, particularly from fellow coaches and commentators, which she felt were unfair.
Vukov himself denied any allegations of abuse, stating that he had “definitely never abused anyone.” Despite the controversy, Rybakina reiterated that she valued the work they had done together and was confident in her decision to include him in her team again.
