Elena Rybakina’s former coach Stefano Vukov suspended by WTA under code of conduct investigation

On the eve of the Australian Open, a major conflict is intensifying at the top of women’s tennis.

Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, wants to bring former coach Stefano Vukov back onto her team, but Vukov has been provisionally suspended by the WTA Tour while under a confidential and private investigation for a breach of the tour’s Code of Conduct.

Vukov is barred from obtaining a WTA credential, and Tennis Australia will not issue him accreditation for the first Grand Slam of the 2025 season.

Vukov has denied breaching the WTA’s code, and Rybakina, the world No. 6. has repeatedly stated that Vukov’s conduct towards her has never been abusive. She has made those sentiments clear to the WTA Tour, according to a representative briefed on the ongoing investigation. The WTA launched the investigation last year after complaints were made about his conduct, described as intense and at times harsh by others within the sport.

While other coaches and commentators, including Pam Shriver, a coach of Donna Vekic and an analyst for ESPN, publicly criticized Vukov, Rybakina defended him, and she was not one of the complainants to contact the WTA Tour.

“Definitely never abused anyone,” Vukov wrote in a text message during his flight to Australia Thursday from Dubai.

“The WTA can confirm that Stefano Vukov is currently under a provisional suspension pending an independent investigation into a potential breach of the WTA Code of Conduct,” a WTA spokesperson said in a statement.

“As part of the provisional suspension, Mr. Vukov is not eligible to obtain a WTA credential at this time. While the WTA does not typically comment on active investigations, we believe it is necessary to clarify this matter due to recent public statements that misrepresent the situation. We will not provide further details at this point in time.”

Tennis Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to two sources briefed on the investigation, the WTA Tour is in the final stages of compiling its investigation into Vukov, which has been conducted by an independent organization and could be released in the coming days.

Those sources say that the WTA Tour has not interviewed Vukov regarding the complaints. They spoke anonymously so as not to compromise ongoing relationships with people within the sport.

With Vukov effectively barred from coaching, he would not be able to enter practice courts or Rybakina’s box at the Australian Open, or any other event. But in an Instagram story posted January 1 from Perth, where Rybakina was competing in the United Cup for Kazakhstan alongside current coach Goran Ivanisevic, she confirmed Vukov’s return to her team.

“Hello everyone, I am excited to announce that Stefano will be joining the team for the 2025 season. Thank you all for the support. And wishing you a great 2025,” Rybakina wrote.

Rybakina’s decision to bring back Vukov sets up the potential for a confrontation with the top officials in the sport just days before the start of the year’s first Grand Slam, traditionally one of the sport’s biggest moments of the year.

People who have been in direct contact with Rybakina, the 2023 finalist in Melbourne, have said it’s not clear what she will do if Vukov is not allowed to coach her. Possibilities include everything from acquiring tickets so that he can watch matches inside the stadium to boycotting the tournament and events on the WTA Tour.

Rybakina, who was born and raised in Russia but has represented Kazakhstan in exchange for support for her career since she was 18, parted ways with Vukov in August after a successful five-year partnership. Rybakina was well outside the top 100 when she and Vukov began working together. She won Wimbledon in 2022, beating Ons Jabeur in three sets.

Wimbledon had banned players representing Russia and Belarus because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but Rybakina was allowed to play because she now claims Kazakhstan as her home country.

Rybakina lost the Australian Open final in three sets to Aryna Sabalenka six months later. She reached No. 3 in the rankings and has been one of the few players to consistently cause problems for Iga Swiatek, the sport’s dominant player of the past three years.

She has, however, struggled with injury and illness the past year and a half. During that time, she has repeatedly withdrawn from tournaments, including Indian Wells, the Italian Open, and the Olympics.

According to the sources briefed on the investigation, Rybakina has been in contact with the WTA Tour for months, attempting to refute the allegations and to make Vukov eligible to coach her. Her decision to go public with her desire to work with Vukov alongside Ivanisevic, whose appointment she announced just two months ago, has forced the issue into the spotlight.

While Vukov cannot coach her, Rybakina’s social media post didn’t mention what role he would have. Sources close to Rybakina’s most recent events and briefed on the ongoing investigation have said that Rybakina and Vukov speak regularly about and before her matches.

Alongside its code of conduct, on Monday December 26, the WTA issued new safeguarding regulations, in a 50-page document has reviewed.

Some of the regulations, including powers that allow the WTA Tour to provisionally ban a coach without an explanation or notice of an ongoing investigation, appear to conform to the details of the situation involving Rybakina and Vukov, but they are not directly part of the Code of Conduct he is being investigated for breaching.

Where this leaves Ivanisevic, who was most recently coaching Novak Djokovic, remains to be determined. Ivanisevic, 53, helped Djokovic to nine Grand Slam titles between 2019 and 2024.

Appointing Ivanisevic was considered a major coup for Rybakina.Their partnership, however, has become strained after she announced that Vukov would return just weeks after Ivanisevic began working with her. Ivanisevic, who has a short-term deal (which is not uncommon in tennis), was blindsided by Rybakina’s announcement, according to the sources at Rybakina’s recent events and briefed on the ongoing investigation into Vukov. Earlier this week, Rybakina told on-court reporters that the tennis world would, over time, “see the work” the two are putting in.

It’s not clear that Ivanisevic will remain if Vukov is able to become Rybakina’s de facto coach again in the future.

Vukov has flown to Australia at Rybakina’s behest but cannot be on the court with her, which is where a coach would need to be. Rybakina says she wants him there. The WTA does not, and Tennis Australia is upholding the tour’s provisional suspension.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Tennis, Women’s Tennis

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