Tennis Insider reacts as WTA player receives shocking suspension for continuing to work with banned coach

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) banned German player Mina Hodzic for breaking the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP). Hodzic was suspended for three months by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for continuing to have contact with Jordi Marse-Vidri, a coach who was banned for 15 years for corruption-related charges.

Hodzic had already been cautioned to cut all ties with Marse-Vidri but was discovered attending a training session with him in Barcelona in October 2024, violating the TACP's rule against prohibited association. Therefore, the ITIA punished her with a three-month suspension from 6 March 2025 and imposed a suspended $1,000 fine.

Tennis insider Ben Rothenberg posted the ITIA's announcement of Hodzic's suspension on X (previously Twitter) on March 28, 2025, seemingly comparing it to Elena Rybakina's current coaching situation.

"A case of a player who was suspended for continuing to work with her coach after he had been banned..." he wrote.

Hodzic's suspension came while Rybakina was in controversy for being seen with Vukov at a private club when photos of her practice session materialized on Instagram.

Check out the pictures here (3rd slide):

Rybakina’s relationship with Vukov has been a mix of success and controversy—he guided her to her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2022 and helped her reach a career-high WTA ranking of No. 3. However, concerns about his coaching methods grew, with figures like former player Pam Shriver and journalist Sofya Tartakova calling attention to his intense on-court demeanor.

Despite general outcry, Rybakina repeatedly stood up for Vukov, dismissing reports of abuse and bemoaning public scrutiny. She formally split with him in August 2024 and went on to partner with Goran Ivanisevic, a former coach to Novak Djokovic. Their partnership was short-lived, though, and lasted only until after the 2025 Australian Open before speculation broke that Rybakina had rehired Vukov—even as he was under active WTA investigation.

In early 2025, the WTA provisionally suspended Vukov, limiting access to WTA event credentials and player-only facilities. Although the case's precise circumstances were not divulged, the suspension indicated a severe breach of the WTA Code of Conduct.

Rybakina openly defied the ruling, remaining a supporter of Vukov even as critics grew among commentators and fellow players. In February 2025, the WTA finalized its independent probe and handed Vukov a one-year suspension for mental abuse infractions.

The reports indicated that Vukov had verbally abused Rybakina and put her under intense pressure, causing physical distress. Even though Rybakina never made an official complaint and Vukov claimed innocence, the WTA ratified the suspension, reaffirming its position on player welfare. According to the ruling, Vukov could only virtually coach Rybakina and watch matches as a spectator only.

---

Goran Ivanisevic spoke out on his split with Elena Rybakina amid Stefano Vukov-WTA controversy

In Picture: Elena Rybakina's ex-coach Goran Ivanisevic (Source: Getty)

Goran Ivanisevic labeled his surprise split with Elena Rybakina as both "strange" and "sad." The former Croatian tennis star-turned-coach discussed their breakup during an interview with ex-footballer Slaven Bilic on (Ne)uspjeh prvaka.

"It was a bit strange," Elena Rybakina's former coach said. "I won't talk much about it, but I can say that it's a bit of a sad and strange story."

"Unfortunately, some things happened off the court that I couldn't control and I didn't want to be a part of that and part of that story and then I decided that it was best to quit. I wish her all the best in her career," he added.

World No. 8 Elena Rybakina recently finished her Miami Open journey with an early defeat. Seeded seventh, she entered the second round via a bye but lost to home favorite Ashlyn Krueger, 4-6, 6-2, 4-6.