Elena Rybakina Fires Back at Critics With Bold Response on WTA Coach Banned for One Year

Elena Rybakina is not playing around. The 2022 Wimbledon champion may not have had the most stellar year so far, but she’s coming back with newfound fire at the US Open. Taking down Emma Raducanu to reach the round of 16, the Kazakh hasn’t dropped a set yet! But there’s a shift in her team that’s left some raising their eyebrows. She brought Stefano Vukov back after the end of his coaching ban by the WTA. While the decision sparked questions, she’s not mincing words.

After beating Raducanu on Friday, the 26-year-old opened up at the post-match press conference. “This year, I tried with a new coach. Didn’t work out in the beginning, so the results were not the same as previous years. But for now, I think we are managing and getting closer to where I want to be,” she said, referring to her two coaching changes with Ivan Ivanisevic and Davide Sanguinetti this year. “And things different in the box right now definitely help a lot, and I think it’s important when the whole team can support me.”

This week Stefano Vukov was spotted in her box, and a reporter couldn’t resist asking, “Do you feel healthier and better in your mind having him on your team?” She didn’t hold back: “Well, I never had issues with him, so for me it’s just nice to see him in the box, and we always had good communication, and we never had issues, so.”

But why is Vukov under scrutiny right now? Last year, they abruptly split before the 2024 US Open amid reports of Vukov’s mental abuse—shouting and relentless pressure—including the jaw-dropping claim he told Rybakina she’d “still be in Russia picking potatoes” without him. The WTA acted fast, suspending Vukov provisionally in January and issuing a no-contact order during their investigation. By February, the probe ended, the ban was firm, and the situation looked serious.

However, on August 8, the WTA announced his ban was lifted, and he was free to coach on the WTA circuit again. Given the circumstances of the ban, it’s left quite a few questioning why Elena would bring him back.