Finally, some relief for Stefano Vukov! Shortly after the US Open, the WTA launched an investigation, which concluded after four months. Following that investigation on January 31, Elena Rybakina’s ex-coach received a one-year ban. He was told the investigation had found “abuse of authority and abusive conduct” towards the player. Under this suspension, Vukov was unable to access stadiums, practice courts, and other facilities, as well as player accommodations. 

The four major tournaments honored the ban, but despite that, Stefano Vukov travelled to Melbourne (for the AO) and supported Elena Rybakina from a distance. Amidst all this, Goran Ivanisevic, who joined Rybakina’s team on November 1, 2024, as a replacement for Vukov, had to ultimately leave her team due to Rybakina’s insistence on having Vukov. The details of the investigation was revealed by the chief executive of the WTA Tour, Portia Archer. Some interesting details came to light, which claimed Stefano Vukov of violating the Tour’s code of conduct by “ridiculing and abusing” Rybakina during coaching. The summary also mentioned Vukov had called the tennis star “stupid” and “retarded.“

Not only that, Archer also wrote that Vukov told Elena Rybakina that she would still be in Russia “picking potatoes” without him. This three-page summary mentioned Stefano Vukov’s “mental abuse” and his tendency to push the player “beyond her limits,” which perhaps had also been a major reason behind her “physical illness.” During that phase, we saw Rybakina withdraw from many events due to illness. Other than that, Archer also revealed that Rybakina’s mother, Ekaterina, was well aware of all these things and had also mailed Vukov, complaining of the same. But following all this drama, as per the latest news, the WTA has confirmed that his ban has been lifted and he can once again resume his coaching duties.

The WTA issued a statement to The Athletic, which said, “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. Any sanctions issued following a breach of these safeguarding rules are carefully considered and are subject to appeal before an independent tribunal.” It further added, “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.“

As per the reports, Stefano Vukov had filed an appeal and entered into private arbitration, which took place before Wimbledon a month ago. Finally, after all the drama and off-court tussles, the 38-year-old Croatian coach finally breathed a sigh of relief. Elena Rybakina herself had always been on Vukov’s side throughout the ordeal.

Despite the controversy, Elena Rybakina always stood by Stefano Vukov

Stefano Vukov’s coaching style has faced a severe backlash in the past. For example, almost five years ago, WTA released a video clip where he called Elena Rybakina “lazy,” and then went on to say, “We’ll edit that one.” According to his theory, he believes he knew how to provoke a player like Rybakina and make her angry to get better results. His unusual coaching style solicited a reaction from former WTA pro, Laura Robson: “I don’t know how she (Rybakina deals with the coach.“

Even Pam Shriver had also opened up on the same saying, “It’s time for our entire sport to finally stand up to known abuse and cult-like manipulations of players. This is a very sad situation, and my prayers are with ER.” Seeing all these complaints and Vukov’s suspension, Elena Rybakina made a very interesting comment during the 2025 AO pre-tournament press conference. She said, “I don’t agree with a lot of things what WTA do in the sense of my relationship with Stefano…As I said before, I have never made any complaints or any of these things. I always said that he never mistreated me.“

Not only that, even before the 2025 Qatar Open, she spoke about the importance of Stefano Vukov in her team. In May 2025, when she won the Strasbourg International, with Davide Sanguinetti on her side as a coach, she was seen thanking both Sanguinetti and Vukov during her speech at the prize ceremony. 

As things stand, Vukov could be back on her team in the near future. But for now, Elena Rybakina, who recently re-entered the Top 10 in rankings, is gearing up to take on Renata Zarazua in the R64 of the 2025 Cincinnati Open. She was defeated by the teenager, Victoria Mboko, in the SF of the Canadian Open. Can Rybakina make a strong comeback? Let us know in a comment.