Elena Rybakina being called 'stupid' by Stefano Vukov comes to light as WTA CEO details their 'toxic relationship' in shocking letter after ban

Elena Rybakina's coach Stefano Vukov has been banned from coaching by the WTA, following an investigation into his breach of the code of conduct. The WTA CEO, Portia Archer, reportedly conveyed her decision to the World No. 7 and Vukov in a letter, which detailed her concerns about their "toxic relationship."

Rybakina chose to end her longstanding partnership with Stefano Vukov before the 2024 US Open. Although she later joined forces with Goran Ivanisevic, the World No. 7 made waves when she "blindsided" Ivanisevic by reinstating Vukov as part of her coaching team ahead of the 2025 Australian Open.

However, the WTA intervened by revealing that Vukov had been provisionally suspended and was being investigated for breaching the code of conduct. Despite both Elena Rybakina and Vukov denying any wrongdoing, the WTA has upheld the ban after concluding their investigation.

Although the WTA chose not to divulge the findings publicly, The Athletic has published a report about the contents of WTA CEO Portia Archer's letter to Rybakina and Vukov. According to a source that reviewed the letter, Archer stated that the Croation insulted the World No. 7 by calling her "stupid" and claiming that, without him, she would "still be in Russia picking potatoes."

The letter further alleged that Vukov had subjected Rybakina to emotional distress and had exacerbated her illness issues by pushing her past her limits. Additionally, Vukov was accused of violating the WTA's provisional ban by ignoring the 'no contact' rule and constantly reaching out to Elena Rybakina after she ended their professional relationship.

In her letter, Portia Archer boldly asserted that the duo had a "toxic" relationship and argued that Vukov's behavior "contradicted" the WTA's commitment to providing a safe environment for all players.

"It’s clear to me you have a toxic relationship," Archer said.

"I always said that he never mistreated me" - Elena Rybakina on her coach Stefano Vukov

Elena Rybakina - Source: Getty

Despite the WTA's findings, Elena Rybakina has maintained that Stefano Vukov "never mistreated" her. During her pre-tournament press conference at the 2025 Australian Open, the World No. 7 emphasized her disagreement with WTA's suspicions about their relationship.

"Well, first of all, like with the whole situation, I don't want to speak much about what's going to be next. But definitely, as I said before, I don't agree with a lot of things what WTA do in the sense of my relationship with Stefano," Rybakina said.

"As I said before, I have never made any complaints or any of these things. I always said that he never mistreated me," she added.

After her second-round exit at the Melbourne Slam, Goran Ivanisevic announced his decision to part ways with Rybakina. The Kazakh has since added Davide Sanguinetti to her coaching team.

Joined by Sanguinetti, Elena Rybakina has commenced her campaign at the Qatar Open with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Peyton Stearns. She will face Rebecca Sramkova in the third round of the WTA 1000 event in Doha.