Kazakhstani tennis star Elena Rybakina was pushed to a deciding set by former French Open semifinalist Lois Boisson before sealing her 300th WTA victory at the Wimbledon Championships on Tuesday. But the milestone came with plenty of tension. Rybakina was not at her best and dropped the second set 6-1 to a player ranked 32 places behind her. At Wimbledon Court 1, the No. 2 seed confronted her coach Stefano Vukov, adding a dramatic twist to the contest.

During the match, Rybakina turned to her coach and said, “With a straight face, ask everybody, por favor.” As she walked back to resume play, he replied, “What? Sorry, sorry? I can’t hear,” continuing the back-and-forth between the controversial coach and the former Wimbledon champion.

Back in 2024, Vukov found himself in hot water with the WTA after being found guilty of abusing his authority and engaging in abusive conduct toward Rybakina. The investigation began following their sudden split ahead of the US Open, with the WTA handing him a 12-month ban despite Rybakina publicly defending him. However, an independent tribunal later lifted the suspension after he had served seven months, allowing him to rejoin Rybakina’s team as soon as he returned to the tour.

It was a successful reunion, at least in terms of results. Rybakina has won four titles since Vukov’s return, including the 2026 Australian Open. However, their on-court exchange during her first-round match at The Championships hinted that there may still be some underlying tension. The conversation took on a different meaning during her post-match interview.

When asked whether she always looks calm and composed regardless of whether she is winning or losing a set in a difficult match, the 27-year-old gave an honest answer.

“Not at all,” she said. “Inside, there’s a lot of emotions. People who know me well, like the team, of course, see when I’m stressed. When things aren’t working. I’m glad I managed to get through. I definitely need to get better in the next one. Just looking forward,” Rybakina added, shifting her focus to the next round after the grueling first-round match.

After Rybakina edged a closely contested opening set, the World No. 34 responded strongly in the second. Boisson raced to a 4-1 lead before taking a medical timeout to receive treatment on her left leg. Even though the injury appeared to trouble her, the French star refused to back down.

She won the final two games of the set to force a deciding third. In the end, however, Rybakina delivered when it mattered most. On match point, she struck a forehand winner to seal a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory and book her place in the second round.

“It was a really difficult match,” Rybakina continued. “I’m also not coming from too many wins (recently), so I really had to fight. Hopefully, the next round is going to be better. I need to improve quite a lot, but I’m happy to get another opportunity,” she explained.

Although today’s on-court confrontation with her 39-year-old coach did not last long, it still became a prominent talking point. And tennis fans have seen them confronting each other ‌many times before, especially during high-pressure contests like this.

Elena Rybakina yelled at her coach during a tense Indian Wells Open match

During her quarterfinal match against World No. 4 Jessica Pegula at this year’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Rybakina found herself in another tumultuous situation. Battling against the American, she was trailing 3-4 in the opening set as the pressure steadily started to build.

The eighth game reached deuce at 40-40 when a ball boy approached the court. The brief interruption during the game appeared to frustrate Rybakina, and she reacted immediately. “Leave me alone,” she barked at her coach in the stands.

The incident quickly caught the attention of fans. Stefano Vukov also appeared animated during the exchange, and it was not the first time such an incident has occurred this season. Earlier this year at Roland Garros, rather than offering the World No. 2 tactical advice or words of encouragement, Vukov walked out of the player’s box and did not return as the Kazakh suffered a second-round defeat to Yuliia Starodubtseva after two hours and 28 minutes.

Rybakina and Vukoc will be hoping to avoid any further spats at the 2026 Wimbledon. She has another challenge waiting. She will face American Caty McNally in the second round, with the pair splitting their previous two meetings. McNally claimed the first victory five years ago on the clay courts of Charleston before Rybakina leveled the head-to-head last year in China.

The matchup presents another intriguing test for both players as her campaign at SW19 continues.