"I know very well how to get Elena Rybakina angry" - When Stefano Vukov opened up about his methods of coaching Kazakh

Elena Rybakina Stefano Vukov
Elena Rybakina won her maiden Grand Slam under Stefano Vukov's guidance | Image Source: Getty

Elena Rybakina's former coach, Stefano Vukov, once revealed the extreme lengths he went to in order to motivate her, even pushing her to her limits. He admitted that he knew exactly how to make her "angry" and used that frustration to drive her to work harder.

Ad

Rybakina and Vukov have faced scrutiny for years, with many questioning the coach’s behavior towards her. Their relationship has become increasingly controversial, leading to an independent investigation by the WTA. As a result, Vukov has been handed a one-year ban.

However, things weren’t always this way. Vukov joined the Kazakh's team in February 2019, and their partnership began on good terms. At the time, she was ranked just inside the world’s Top 200, but under his guidance, she experienced rapid growth. After years of hard work, she achieved a breakthrough moment by winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.

Ad

Stefano Vukov had a unique coaching approach with Elena Rybakina, believing that "pushing her buttons" and "provoking" her was the best way to get her going. He saw this as an effective method, convinced that it played a key role in her success.

"I think there are buttons you can push. You got to know when to provoke your player. I know very well how to get Elena angry, to get her started. That's something that has helped me with her, with the success. Sometimes maybe people can say that I'm too much on the on-court coaching, but I know how to wake her up," the Croat told WTA in 2020.
Ad

He added:

"She's a bit in competition with me. We have this little thing going on. I know what buttons to touch to get her going in some moments of the match."

"It's difficult to have a bad day...There is much worse, that's what I tell Elena Rybakina" - Stefano Vukov

Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukov pictured at the 2024 Miami Open | Image Source: Getty
Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukov pictured at the 2024 Miami Open | Image Source: Getty

In the same 2020 interview with the WTA, Stefano Vukov was asked about his perspective on bad days for a coach and a player. He responded by saying that he didn’t believe in the concept of a "bad day" because there could always be something worse ahead. This was a mindset he consistently reinforced with Elena Rybakina.

Ad
"A bad day? There are no bad days. Look at us. We travel the world. It's sunny, we're hitting a tennis ball, living healthy. It's very difficult to have a bad day. There is worse. Much worse. That's what I tell Elena," he said.

Vukov also shared his definition of a good day, explaining that for him, it was about going to bed feeling exhausted yet satisfied, knowing he had given 100 percent of his effort to support his protege around the clock.

Ad
"To be extremely tired, to go to bed and feel good about myself, that I gave 100 percent. That I tried to be behind my player 24/7," he said.

Rybakina and Vukov’s partnership officially ended in August 2024, just before the US Open. However, in 2025, he was brought back into her team in some capacity. Despite that, he cannot officially coach her yet due to his ongoing WTA ban.

Quick Links

Edited by Pritha Ghosh
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications