Elena Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov’s suspension by the WTA was recently revoked. As a result the Croatian should be able to join the tennis star at the Cincinnati Open as she hunts for her second title-finish of the year.
Rybakina and Vukov first joined forces in 2019, and the Kazakh quickly gained success under the guidance of the Croatian, winning the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. However, Vukov’s aggressive coaching style came under scrutiny multiple times, and the duo parted ways in 2024 after the US Open.
However, Rybakina wanted Vukov to rejoin her team at the 2025 Australian Open, but the 38-year-old was provisionally suspended by the WTA for breaching their code of conduct. The suspension was then put in place for a year on January 31.
Trending
Stefano Vukov reportedly appealed the suspension in June earlier this year, and the Croatian’s ban has now been lifted. In an official statement to The Athletic, the WTA said,
“The WTA is fully committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for all athletes and other participants, as set out in our WTA Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Code. Any sanctions issued following a breach of these safeguarding rules are carefully considered and are subject to appeal before an independent tribunal. While case details remain confidential, we can confirm that Mr. Vukov is eligible to receive credentials at WTA events. We will not be commenting further.”
Throughout his suspension, Elena Rybakina had sided with her coach. During the United Cup, the Kazakh stress that Vukov never mistreated her, saying,
"I can only say, and I said it already before, that he never mistreated me, it was never anything like that. Of course I'm not really happy with the situation. I'm not happy with the comments which I see, especially from the people who are on the tour. It's active coaches, commentators. I don't think that it's fair.”
With Stefano Vukov banned from WTA events, Rybakina had been working with the Croatian away from the tournaments, while she was joined by Davide Sanguinetti during events.
Elena Rybakina set to return to action at Cincinnati Open after Montreal heartbreak
For Elena Rybakina, 2025 has been a season of near misses. The Kazakh was most recently seen in action at the Canadian Open, where she made it to the semifinals. In the semifinals, she was up against home player Victoria Mboko, and despite leading heavily in the third-set, the 2022 Wimbledon Champion was unable to close the deal.
Now, after her heartbreak in Montreal, Elena Rybakina is set to return to action at the Cincinnati Open. The 26-year-old is seeded ninth at the event and will open her campaign on Friday, August 8. She will go up against Renata Zarazua for the match, and with Stefano Vukov’s suspension lifted, it remains to be seen if the Croatian returns as her coach this week.
