Elena Rybakina’s "toxic" ties with Stefano Vukov spark concern as Andrea Petkovic questions Kazakh's decision-making ability

Former WTA star Andrea Petkovic recently weighed in on the situation involving Elena Rybakina and her former coach, Stefano Vukov. The German highlighted the difference between having the self-confidence to make independent decisions and being under the influence of a mentor.

Elena Rybakina said she was disappointed with the WTA Tour's decision to ban Stefano Vukov after the Croatian mentor was accused of mistreating her, which reportedly led to a violation of the code of conduct. Although Vukov denied any wrongdoing, the authority remained firm on its decision, extending his ban to one year.

Andrea Petkovic minced no words while addressing Elena Rybakina's current situation. In the latest episode of the Rennae Stubbs tennis podcast uploaded on February 19, the German expressed confusion over Rybakina's decision-making abilities and said:

"Rybakina has come forth multiple times, saying that she doesn't agree with the decision made by the WTA. That's why I'm stuttering. I don't know what to say because on one hand I really strongly believe in independence and an adult player, who has to take responsibility and make decisions for themselves. On the other hand, I've seen toxic relationships around me and the thing is at one point, you can't make decisions for yourself any longer because you're so caught up with this dependence that you're not thinking clearly," she said (30:40 onwards).

The German ex-pro also admitted to losing words over the puzzled player-coach situation.

"So that's why I'm really at a loss for words which rarely ever happens because what is it? It's hard to say from the outside. Is she an adult and responsible enough to say 'I want him around and this is my decision?' or is she so dependent on him at this point, that she can't think clearly?" she added.

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Elena Rybakina claims to finding herself sidelined and lacking support from WTA peers

Elena Rybakina at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open - Day Five - Source: Getty

Elena Rybakina recently revealed that she feels isolated from other WTA players amid the controversy surrounding her coach. The World No. 7 also expressed frustration with how the case was handled and said:

"It's very disappointing the way it's been handled, just the outcome. No one offered any support. Honestly don't need. There is couple players I'm in touch more. But to say that I have very, very close friends on tour, it's I think not true just because we competing against each other. Everybody's surrounded by their teams," she said during a post match interview at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Rybakina had planned to bring Vukov back as her coach after they split in January 2024. However, she later found out that he was temporarily suspended for allegedly breaching WTA's code of conduct.

The suspension was confirmed to stay in place as per the latest announcement from the authority on February 12, meaning that Vukov will not be allowed to side with the Kazakh in any of the tour-level events.