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Kazakh star Elena Rybakina announced her split from coach Stefano Vukoc just three days before the start of the US Open 2024. The 25-year-old has had an underwhelming year, failing to mount a challenge for any Grand Slam title while constantly being hampered by injuries. However, according to Russian journalist Sofya Tartakova, Rybakina's recent tournament withdrawals have stemmed from psychological issues rather than injury concerns.
Tartokova said in an interview with Tennis Bolshoi on YouTube that Rybakina is experiencing issues arising from her relationship with her coach Vukoc. The Kazakh star was last seen in action at the US Open where she withdrew after her first-round win. Later Rybakina announced that she would miss the China Open and the complete Asian swing due to injury concerns.
Tartokova said that Rybakina is also struggling as Vukoc had a poor attitude and constantly "ate" her with harsh words.
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"And all these difficulties that she 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," Tartokova said.
"Elena Rybakina's parents stood up for her, because she could not break this vicious circle. On the other hand, it is clear that they (Rybakina and Vukoc) were very close, she won the main achievements of her career thanks to their joint work, and 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," she added.
Tennis stars Chris Evert and Andy Roddick have supported Elena Rybakina following this latest report. Evert took to X (formerly Twitter) to wish the Kazakh star her best.
"Wishing Elena Rybakina the best and hoping she comes back healthy and happy," she said.
Roddick, meanwhile, discussed the issue at length on his podcast.
“I don’t feel like we know the full story and I hope it’s something that is a short-term problem or issue if it’s health… We just don’t know what it is but are we just in wait-and-see mode with her? There’s obviously more to the story but we can’t have an opinion on something you don’t know anything about," he said.
Rennae Stubbs also shared her thoughts on the situation showing concern for Rybakina's current situation in an interview with ESPN.
"There’s something obviously going on here. I don’t want to speculate. But this is a very unusual situation. 8 withdrawals this year… undisclosed injury now at US Open. I just think there’s something more going on here. This is not a normal situation. I’ve seen her over the last couple of days. She hasn’t looked great. I’ve seen her for years on the tour," she said.
Kim Clijsters also weighed in on the Elena Rybakina - Stefano Vukov situation. She said (via Tennis Temple):
"He (Vukov) was at the US Open. He had accreditation. He was there. It's a bit strange... Nobody knows more, except perhaps certain members of the organization. I think we'll know more in the future. But, right now, it doesn't look good."
Tennis commentator and podcaster Craig Shapiro suggested that Vukoc has been removed from the WTA coaching and banned from the tour. This has added more intrigue to the case. Rybakina has yet to announce her new coach.
Rybakina has had a difficult season so far in 2024. The World No. 4 lost in the second round of the Australian Open at the start of the season before reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open.
Elena Rybakina aiming to return before the WTA Finals
Elena Rybakina's best performance came at Wimbledon when she reached the semifinals at SW19. She withdrew before her second-round clash in the season's last Grand Slam in New York.
Most recently, Rybakina announced her withdrawal from the China Open and the Asian swing, citing an ongoing back injury issue. She will thus miss the other tournaments in China and Japan.
After parting ways with her former coach Stefano Vukoc, Rybakina is training with Yuri Schukin, the Kazakhstan Davis Cup team coach.
