Elena Rybakina's coach Goran Ivanisevic breaks his silence on Stefano Vukov's return amid WTA ban

Elena Rybakina's coach Goran Ivanisevic broke his silence on Stefano Vukov's return to the Kazakh's team amid WTA's provisional ban.

World No. 6 Rybakina has found herself at the center of controversy following her recent coaching changes. After parting ways with longtime coach Stefano Vukov in August 2024, rumors about him possibly being banned from the WTA surfaced, though the authorities made no official comment at the time.

Rybakina later appointed Goran Ivanisevic as her new coach during the offseason. However, in a surprising turn, Rybakina announced last week that Vukov would be returning to her team, though the specifics of his role were unclear.

Shortly after, Russian reporter Sofya Tartakova quoted Vukov, who claimed there was "no ban" against him. That prompted the WTA to break its silence and issue a statement confirming that Vukov was indeed under "provisional suspension, pending an independent investigation into a potential breach of the WTA Code of Conduct."

As per a report in The Athletic, Ivanisevic was "blindsided" by Rybakina’s decision to bring Vukov back. When asked about this characterization, Ivanisevic didn’t deny or confirm the claim.

"Listen, the investigation is still on, so we wait for WTA to finish, and then I can talk about everything," Ivanisevic said to Ben Rothenberg's Bounces. "But until then… I spoke to Elena; I told her what I think."

When pressed further about the "blindsided" wording, Ivanisevic was reluctant to elaborate.

"Listen, I don't want to…—heh," he replied. "It's a very strange situation. So I don't want to, really. I can talk to you after WTA makes the decision, and then we can."

As the saga surrounding Rybakina’s coaching changes continues to unfold, her fans would be hoping that the WTA’s investigation concludes soon.

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Goran Ivanisevic addresses his future with Elena Rybakina's team if Stefano Vukov returns as a permitted coach

Elena Rybakina at the 2025 United Cup - Source: Getty

Ben Rothenberg also asked Goran Ivanisevic whether the reinstatement of Stefano Vukov as a permitted coach would lead to his departure from Elena Rybakina’s team.

"I mean, let's put it this way: I'm here," Ivanisevic replied. "I just want to wait for WTA; I think it's fair. And then, we'll see what's going to be next. Still, I don't want to go too much into the future. It's today, Tuesday. Let's stay in Tuesday."

Earlier, during the United Cup, Rybakina defended Vukov and quashed rumors of being mistreated by him. She also said she had respect for her former coach who had helped her scale new heights in her career.

Elena Rybakina kicked off her 2025 season with a strong performance at the United Cup, securing multiple wins for Kazakhstan before being defeated by Iga Swiatek in the semifinal. The 25-year-old has now arrived in Melbourne for the Australian Open and recently trained alongside Emma Raducanu.