About two weeks ago, yet another shock split in tennis occurred – Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukov were no longer working together. The Kazakhstani player had been going through a number of withdrawals from tournaments this year, which has ultimately totaled up to 8. A high number for any player, much less a top 5 one, concerns were raised about her health. But when Rybakina withdrew from the US Open after winning the first round, not to mention having fired her coach just days before, she seemed to be in no danger of injury. What, then, actually happened?
Having worked with Vukov since 2019, Rybakina had consistently risen up the rankings under his mentorship and even clinched the 2022 Wimbledon. But the way Vukov had mentored her had come under fire several times. Tennis insider Jon Wertheim said on Sports Illustrated, “It was an open tennis secret: Her longtime coach, Vukov, made a lot of people uncomfortable, including WTA personnel. (He would openly yell at her; they would sometimes squabble during matches; he got this tattoo.) .”
On Aug 22, Rybakina finally announced via social media that they had ended their partnership. In a very stoic caption, she wrote, “Hello Everyone, after 5 years, Stefano and I are no longer working together. I thank him for his work on-court and wish him all the best for the future. Thank you all for your support.” A few weeks later, Vukov has been banned from the WTA list of coaches.
Interestingly, as far back as last January, WTA legend Pam Shriver had come forward to talk about this issue. That was the time when Rybakina ended her Australian Open run as the runner-up. Shriver wrote on X, “As I watch Rybakina try to win her second major in 7 months, I hope she finds a coach who speaks and treats her with respect at ALL times and does not ever accept anything less.”
But Rybakina defended him nonetheless. Now in 2024, since the US Open fiasco, the World No. 4 is not open to answering questions about what went wrong.
Elena Rybakina finds new coach but reluctant to talk about the old one
After she defeated Destanee Aiava in the first round of the American Grand Slam, Elena Rybakina appeared in a post conference match ready to dodge prying questions. Of course the media shot the expected questions her way but Rybakina said plainly, “I will let you know, guys, if my coach situation is going to change.”
While she is not obligated to and should be respected for whatever she does or does not reveal, Kazakh team captain Yuri Shchukin was named her new coach. Of working with him, Rybakina said, “Well, of course, it is different. We worked for five years, but still…we talked about the tactic and everything, so I was prepared for the match.”
With a rollercoaster of a year almost at an end, hopefully the Kazakh player can finally put this drama behind her. While 2024 still has some time left to reclaim, she will be hoping for a better 2025 nonetheless.
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