The coach of former 3 WTA number, accused of abuse, escaped suspension

Former coach of Elena Rybakina, Stefano Vukov, is eligible to receive credentials again at WTA tournaments, following the raising of his suspension by the female tennis management body.

“The WTA is fully committed to offer a safe and respectful environment for all athletes and other participants, as provided in our WTA Code and the Salvgardation Code.“, WTA said in a statement.

“Any sanctions issued following the violation of these protection rules are carefully taken into account and are subject to an appeal before an independent court. While the details of the case remain confidential, we can confirm that Vukov is eligible to receive credentials at WTA competitions”.

WTA did not reveal who filed the complaint against Vukov.

Elena Rybakina had the dismissal, then re -employed

Rybakina ended her five-year partnership with Vukov in August last year, a few days before the start of the US Open. Then, to the employee the former mentor of Novak Djokovic, Goran Ivanisevicfor season 2025, in what has been shown to be a short collaboration and without important results.

The WTA confirmed in January this year that he had provisionally suspended Vukov due to a possible violation of his code of conduct, waiting for the result of an investigation. The WTA investigation into Vukov's behavior started shortly after the last major tournament of season 2024 and ended four months later.

Rybakina, a champion at Wimbledon in 2022 under Vukov's guide, again employed in his team while working with Ivanisevic, which aroused concern in the tennis world.

Elena Rybakina next to Stefano Vukov Photo: Imago Images

One -year prohibition for Stefano Vukov

In February, the executive director of the WTA Tour, Portia Archer, imposed on Vukov a one-year prohibition, informing him that he was engaged in “abuse of authority and abusive behavior“Compared to Rybakina.

In a three-page confidential letter that summarizes The Athletic's investigation, Archer said Vukov named Rybakina “stupid“and”retarded“. She wrote that she told her that, without him, she”would have picked potatoes“In Russia and concluded that Vukov” cultivated a relationship of addiction “in which the player believed that he could not be successful without Vukov.

In the arbitration, the documents and evidence used to judge a case do not become public.

Vukov denies any crime and told The Athletic that he “never abused anyone”, after the American publication wrote for the first time about his provisional suspension.

The world number 10 Rybakina claimed that Vukov did not mistreat it and said that she is not satisfied with the fact that various coaches and commentators talk about this situation.

Rybakina is working this year with Davide Sanguinetti, a former Italian player who became a coach, who said in an interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport in February that “Vukov and Elena are close, he will always be there”, adding that “Stefano and I are on the same wavelength”.

Stefano Vukov resorted to private arbitration

Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukov at Wimbledon 2022, when Kazaha won photo guliver/Gettyimages

The 38 -year -old Croatian resorted to a private arbitration with the female tennis management body, as two informed in the Athletic and the arbitration process, who spoke under the protection of anonymity in June. He resorted to arbitration because, in accordance with the WTA rules, disputes must be solved in this way, rather than in court.

According to the conditions of the suspension applied by the WTA, Vukov I was forbidden to be accredited for the competitions in the circuit. Also, he was not allowed access to arena, training grounds and other facilities on the spot in tournaments, as well as the accommodation of players.

The four Grand Slam tournaments – Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open – have respected the prohibition. To Vukov, who was in Melbourne with Rybakina for the Australian Open in January, was forbidden to enter the training grounds or in its lodge.