Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim recently talked about Elena Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov’s behavior towards her. Rybakina had parted ways with long-time coach Vukov ahead of the 2024 US Open. She also pulled out of her second-round encounter due to an illness.
Of late, the media scrutiny around Rybakina has increased due to her withdrawal from the US Open and her parting ways with her coach. She has remained tight-lipped and has dodged questions about her coach in the press conference. This has increased fans’ curiosity about the issue, which has led to many conspiracy theories.In the latest column of Mailbox (Sports Illustrated), tennis journalist Jon Wertheim said that many speculations around the situation are ‘baseless’.
“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),” Wertheim wrote.
He also talked about how Pam Shriver expressed concern over Vukov’s behavior. Wertheim also claimed that Rybakina’s withdrawal from the 2024 US Open was health-related and not related to Vukov.
“Before the 2024 U.S. Open, Rybakina announced she and Vukov were parting ways. As is her wont—and as her right—she deflected all questions. The WTA did not respond to my inquiries seeking clarification. I was told her withdrawal before Round 2 was health-related and not related to Vukov. It’s up to her to elucidate if she so chooses,” he said.
When Elena Rybakina defended her coach Stefano Vukov from backlash
Elena Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov faced backlash from fans due to his behaviour at the Australian Open 2024. The Kazakh and her coach were recorded having an animated discussion. Later she took to Instagram to defend her coach.
“After a great AO, I have seen some disturbing comments on social media about the behaviour of my coach Stefano Vukov. I want to clarify any misinterpretations. Stefano has believed in me for many years, before anyone else did,” Elena Rybakina wrote.
The World No. 4 said that Vukov was a passionate coach, adding that she would never accept a coach who disrespected her.
“He is a passionate coach, with a lot of knowledge about tennis. Unlike people that are making these comments, he has great knowledge about me as a person and as an athlete. Those who know me well, will know that I would never accept a coach that didn’t respect me and all our hard work,” she added.
Vukov was also spotted ‘yelling’ during Rybakina’s semifinal match at Australian Open 2023. Later that year, he also incurred the ire of fans for constantly talking during her third-round loss at the 2023 US Open.
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