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Elena Rybakina's former coach, Stefano Vukov, has been under scrutiny since the 2024 US Open. In August 2024, following his departure as Elena Rybakina's head coach, the WTA investigated the Croatian for breaching the code of conduct. Since then, Vukov has been provisionally suspended, as the WTA has conducted a separate investigation on the case.
Recently, the WTA announced that Vukov would be banned, following an investigation into his behavior toward players. This decision will signal the end of the topsy-turvy Rybakina-Vukov relationship, which has seen its fair share of drama for the last six months.
Here is the complete timeline of events of the Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukov saga.
August 2024 - Elena Rybakina part ways with Stefano Vukov after a lackluster US Open
Elena Rybakina announced her split with the longtime coach Stefano Vukov after the 2024 US Open. The Kazakh star worked with her Croatian coach for five years, winning the Wimbledon title.
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After her failure to win a Grand Slam title in 2024, Rybakina decided to split with Vukov. However, there were alleged reports about his aggressive behavior towards Rybakina which the Kazakh star rebuffed.
November 2024 - Elena Rybakina hires Goran Ivanisevic as her new coach
After her split with Stefano Vukov, Rybakina teamed up with Novak Djokovic's former coach Goran Ivanisevic ahead of the new season. The new partnership showed a lot of promise but failed to deliver.
The duo played one Grand Slam tournament, Australian Open, before Ivanisevic decided to part ways with the Kazakh star. One of the main reasons for his departure was Rybakina's decision to reappoint Stefano Vukov to her team, despite his ongoing suspension.
January 2025 - Elena Rybakina reappoints Stefano Vukov into her team
In a shocking decision, Rybakina announced her decision to re-introduce Vukov to her team, ahead of the Australian Open. The Croatian coach got banned from coaching, due to the ongoing investigation, but Rybakina added him to the team.
The Kazakh star lost to the eventual winner, Madison Keys, in the round of 16 in Melbourne. This result brought an end to her partnership with Goran Ivanisevic, who announced his departure from Rybakina's team shortly after her Australian Open exit.
February 2025 - Stefano Vukov banned after an investigation by the WTA
Stefano Vukov was banned by the WTA after having allegedly breached the WTA's Code of Conduct. Moreover, his ban will now be increased further after an independent investigation by the WTA into his behavior towards his players.
"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," the WTA said in a statement.
The extent of Vukov's ban is still unclear and the Croatian can appeal against the decision. Due to this, Rybakina cannot add her former coach back into her team, something she hoped to do since the start of 2025.
