- Vukov is being investigated by the WTA for allegedly violating their code of conduct
- Rybakina left the Croatian coach in August and hired Goran Ivanisevic
- She announced that Vukov would join her team ahead of the Australian Open
Elena Rybakina insisted she was ‘never abused’ by her coach Stefano Vukov, who is currently the subject of a WTA investigation.
Since last year, Vukov has been under a provisional suspension while the WTA investigates an alleged breach of their code of conduct.
Rybakina split from the Croatian in August and hired Goran Ivanisevic, but before the Australian Open she announced that Vukov would rejoin her team – even though he is banned from a coaching role and has been banned from the site under the conditions of his suspension.
“Well, first of all, given the whole situation, I don’t want to say much about what’s going to happen,” said Rybakina, the No. 6 seed here in Melbourne. ‘But I absolutely disagree with a lot of things the WTA has done in terms of my relationship with Stefano.
‘I have never made any complaints. I’ve always said he never abused me.’
There has always been a lot of commentary on social media about the dynamic between Rybakina and Vukov, with some taking offense to the way he communicates with her on court.
Elena Rybakina has insisted she was ‘never abused’ by her former coach Stefano Vukov
Vukov is being investigated by the WTA for allegedly violating their code of conduct
There has always been a lot of commentary on social media about the dynamic between Rybakina and Vukov
The main critic was Pam Shriver, a former Wimbledon doubles champion and now Donna Vekic’s coach. Shriver has spoken about her “inappropriate and harmful” relationship with a former coach.
Rybakina said, “Pam Shriver, I don’t know her personally. She never came to me, never spoke to me, but I know her story. It’s sad, but it doesn’t mean that other players are facing the same problems. Since she doesn’t know me, I don’t think it’s fair to make such comments, especially as an active coach and commentator.”
Rybakina’s decision to re-hire Vukov, or at least attempt to do so, has left Ivanisevic in an odd position and the player was less than effusive when asked to confirm that the former Wimbledon champion was her main coach .
“Well, as you can see, we’re here, we’re working. Yes, it’s him,’ she said. ‘We just finished the preseason. It hasn’t been that long, but we’re getting to know each other better.’
With a verdict in the Vukov case expected soon, it promises to be an uncomfortably parallel story with Ryabkina’s attempts to reach her second final here in Melbourne.