Tennis News Today: Elena Rybakina's ex-coach Stefano Vukov spotted at her match after controversial split; Novak Djokovic makes major statement in light of unrest in Serbia, and more

Elena Rybakina and Novak Djokovic made headlines on Friday for varying reasons. While the former was on the court for the World Tennis League, the latter is busy readying for the 2025 season.

Those two were not the sole ones making news though. The World Tennis League has given fans some welcome tennis action to look forward to during the off-season, while those not engaged in the team competition keep their fans posted on social media.

Here, we look at some of the biggest newsmakers, both on and off the tennis court:

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Elena Rybakina's ex-coach Stefano Vukov spotted at her match after controversial split

Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukoc, the coach under whose tutelage she captured the Wimbledon title, parted ways unceremoniously earlier this year. While no detailed reason was given for the split, reports suggesting that Vukov had been taken off WTA's sanctioned coaches' list added intrigue to the development.

Fans, and even tennis insiders like Rennae Stubbs, have been critical of Vukov's seemingly aggressive approach towards handing out instructions at her ward. While Rybakina had defended her then-coach, her decision to end the coaching relationship had many people talking.

Vukov had maintained a low profile since his split with Rybakina but made a public appearance in the stands during the World Tennis League. While it has not yet been confirmed if he watched the Rybakina-Aryna Sabalenka match, he was indeed present during some of the matches played between the Falcons (Rybakina's side) and the Hawks.

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Novak Djokovic makes major statement in light of unrest in Serbia

Novak Djokovic is not one to shy away from sensitive topics and has once again used the public platform to make his opinions heard. The Serb spoke about the unrest in his home country amid student-led protests triggered by the collapse of a railway station.

Issuing a statement, Djokovic said he could relate deeply to the youth's desire for a better future before adding that their voices need to be heard. He went on to advocate for "understanding and respect" from all parties involved.

"As someone who deeply believes in the strength of young people and their desire for a better future, I believe it is important for their voices to be heard. Serbia has enormous potential and educated youth is its greatest strength. What we all need is understanding and respect. With you, Novak," Djokovic posted on X (Translated from Serbian).

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Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina's bonhomie

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina (Source: Getty)

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are known to share a good equation off the tennis court. And that translates to the atmosphere whenever the two take to court against each other.

In yet another instance of their shared bonhomie, Sabalenka joked about nearly squandering a 5-0 lead against her opponent during their World Tennis League rubber.

Speaking during her on-court interview, Sabalenka took a jibe at Rybakina, saying she let the Kazakh catch up in the scoreline because she's such a "nice girl."

"I was just telling myself you can’t be that tough on Elena. She’s such a nice person. You cannot do that to her. So I was like okay, let’s be friendly and get it to 5-5 and then we'll see who's going to get that one."

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Jenson Brooksby's honest admission about living with autism

Jenson Brooksby (Source: Getty)

Talented youngster Jenson Brooksby spoke about living with an autism spectrum disorder in a recent interview, saying it was an experience that he did not want to keep to himself.

The Briton conceded that while it was a “personal” topic, it eventually became something that he wanted to talk about more. He added that learning to improve his “communication” and learning to adapt to different social situations was a key part of his development.

“It’s obviously a personal topic that, even with people you may feel very comfortable with — in my mind, at least for a long time — it wasn’t (something) to just go blurting out as part of a conversation, you know? But I’ve always thought about it and ... I, eventually, just wanted to talk about it.”

“To be able even just to start talking ... (and) then to get better at communication and social situations. I just want people to know me for who I am fully, and that’s just another part of me,” he continued. “I’ve had a lot of time out of playing and a lot of thinking I’ve had to do."