Controversy erupts as Elena Rybakina spotted with banned ex-coach Stefano Vukov at a private club ahead of clay swing

Elena Rybakina was spotted with banned ex-coach Stefano Vukov at a private tennis club ahead of the clay swing of the 2025 season. Disturbing details of Vukov mentally abusing the tennis star surfaced earlier this year, which led to an investigation by the WTA (Women's Tennis Association), and he was banned from the tour for about a year (according to The Athletic).

The coach-player duo had been together since 2019 and parted ways in August 2024 due to their differences. However, Rybakina again added him to his coaching team at the beginning of this year, along with Goran Ivanisevic. Conversations regarding the mental harassment faced by the World No. 8 spewed after close sources revealed Vukov's harsh behavior towards the Kazakh during training sessions and his aggressive body language towards her.

The ban outlined that Vukov was barred from receiving a WTA credential, hence precluding him from practice courts and the player’s box during matches. However, a glimpse of the tennis star with his banned coach at a private tennis club came out as they posted pictures from her practice on Instagram (3rd slide).

One of Elena Rybakina's fan pages brought it to attention as they re-posted the same image on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:

"NO WAY THIS IS REAL"

Even though the authorities haven't commented on this sighting yet, owing to the tennis court being outside the jurisdiction of WTA, they probably would not be able to intervene. They were presumably preparing for the upcoming clay-court leg of the season, as concerns regarding Elena Rybakina's mental health remain.

---

Elena Rybakina's 'relationship of dependence' with banned coach Stefano Vukov

Elena Rybakina at the 2023 French Open - Source: Getty

Elena Rybakina showed disagreement towards WTA's ban on her coach Stefano Vukov during the Australian Open. Signs of her being dependent on her coach were vividly visible after she reappointed him before starting the 2025 season, which were further intensified as she backed Vukov during the investigation.

“I don’t agree with a lot of things what the WTA do in the sense of my relationship with Stefano. As I said before, I have never made any complaints or any of these things. I always said that he never mistreated me. That’s one thing. Since this situation is how it is now, I don’t really want to speak about this more,” she said, via The Guardian.

On the tennis side of things, Rybakina faced an early exit from the ongoing Miami Open after losing to Ashlyn Kreuger and is focusing on faring well in the clay season.