"Get him out of there!";"Stay away from Elena Rybakina" - Fans react to Kazakh's ex-coach Stefano Vukov making unexpected appearance at WTL

Elena Rybakina's former coach, Stefano Vukov, made a surprise appearance at the World Tennis League on December 19. The Croatian coach had been out of the limelight and not been seen since parting ways with Rybakina in late August.

Elena Rybakina ended her six-year partnership with Vukov just before the 2024 US Open. Vukov was integral to Rybakina's rise in women's tennis, guiding her to the World No. 3 spot and Grand Slam title at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. However, the relationship was also marred by controversy, with Vukov's behaviour during the matches often coming under fire.

Vukov recently made his first public appearance since the split. He was spotted in the stands during the ongoing World Tennis League in Dubai, watching the match between Andrey Rublev and Jordan Thompson. Images of Vukov from Etihad Arena went viral on social media, with fans hilariously calling for him to be escorted out of the stadium and for police to be called.

"Get him out of there!" a fan wrote.

"Stalkery creepy," another fan said.

"HE MUST HAVE SNEAKED IN, PLEASE SOMEONE LEGIT CALL THE POLICE, I'M NOT KIDDING," a fan commented.

Some fans wanted Vukov to stay away from Rybakina, with one even joking that the Kazakh star should get a gun.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER," a fan tweeted.

"Someone give elena a gun omg," said another fan.

A fan opined that Vukov must have been hired by another player, and another advocated for the Croatian's right to attend any match he wanted.

"Probably not jobless anymore," a fan wrote on X.

"Vulkov has every right to attend a tennis match, even the one in which Elena is playing! Elena asked that her former coach be respected! The grafting of grotesque and useless stories does not take hold and let Elena and Vulkov live their lives, tennis each on their own," a fan said.

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Elena Rybakina hired Goran Ivanisevic as her new head coach

Elena Rybakina (Source: Getty)

After splitting with Stefano Vukov, Elena Rybakina withdrew before her second-round contest at the US Open and did not compete on tour for nearly two months. She returned to action at the WTA Finals and, before kicking off her campaign, announced the hiring of former Wimbledon champion and Novak Djokovic coach Goran Ivanisevic as her new head coach.

However, Ivanisevic was not present in Riyadh during the WTA Finals. The duo began practising together during the off-season before the 2025 WTA Tour and recently shared a picture from their first session in Dubai.

Rybakina is Ivanisevic's first WTA assignment. The Croat most recently worked with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic for six years (2019-2024) and guided the Serb to nine Grand Slam titles. Djokovic and Ivanisevic ended their partnership in March 2024.