ELENA RYBAKINA’S coach has been banned for a year for mental abuse of the world No5.
The Women’s Tennis Association has suspended Stefano Vukov, 37, for a year over his alleged behaviour – but refused to disclose details of their investigation.
Elena Rybakina’s coach has been banned for a year over alleged mental abuse[/caption]
Stefano Vukov has been suspended following an investigation by the WTA[/caption]
A leaked letter from tour chief Portia Archer sent to both player and coach, as reported by The Athletic, claims Rybakina, 25, was pushed too hard physically and mentally, to the point she became ill.
Croat Vukov is claimed to have called her “stupid”, while telling the 2022 Wimbledon champion she would “still be in Russia picking potatoes” without him.
Russian-born Kazakh ace Rybakina has previously stated she never made “any complaints” about Vukov’s conduct.
At last month’s Australian Open, she revealed: “I don’t agree with a lot of things the WTA do in the sense of my relationship with Stefano.”
Vukov was slapped with a provisional ban by the WTA last year after US legend Pam Shriver – Donna Vekic’s coach – went public with her belief he was in breach of tour rules.
Following their investigation, the WTA have imposed the 12-month ban on Rybakina’s coach.
A statement read: “Following this process, the suspension remains in place.
“To protect the confidentiality and integrity of the investigation and its findings, the WTA will not provide further details.
“We remain committed to ensuring that all matters are handled in a fair and objective manner in accordance with the WTA code of conduct.”
Rybakina and Vukov worked together for five years, before they ended their partnership – which resulted in a Wimbledon title and an Australian Open final appearance – before last year’s US Open.
During their time together, Vukov is alleged to have harassed Rybakina in a string of text messages.
The world No5 then named Vukov as part of her team earlier this year – despite his provisional ban preventing him from obtaining accreditation for the Australian Open.
Tennis legend Goran Ivanisevic, who replaced compatriot Vukov in November 2024, subsequently walked away from the Kazakh’s team.
Vukov – who is only able to coach Rybakina off-site – is able to appeal his one-year suspension.
His only hope of watching matches in person would be as a ticketed fan in the crowd under the terms of his ban.
Last year, Russian journalist Sofya Tartakova told the Tennis Bolshei YouTube channel about “psychological problems” Vukov had caused.
She said: “All these difficulties that she [currently] faces, she faces because of a lot of very heavy pressure associated with her former coach Vukov.
“They say that Stefano actually came to the US Open, that he was in New York, was ready to continue working with her, but Lena decided that they would break up because of a very difficult…
“I don’t want to say big words, not quite the correct attitude of her mentor towards her.
“That is, he ‘ate’ her all the time, as people who surrounded Lena say. Rybakina’s parents stood up for her, because she could not break this vicious circle.
“On one hand, this is the coach who worked with her since [a young age], and she herself, together with her family, chose him.
“It is clear that they were very close, she won the main achievements of her career thanks to their joint work, [but] her parents insisted that Lena change something in her tennis life, because there was pressure, and insults, and bad words said to her. They were constantly from Vukov’s lips.
“And now Elena Rybakina is suffering and trying to get rid of psychological problems, so the situation is, of course, very difficult for her, but we’ll see.”
