The former long-time coach of Elena Rybakina, who rejoined her team earlier this week, is currently serving a provisional suspension from the WTA Tour.
Stefano Vukov is under investigation for an unspecified breach of the Tour’s code of conduct and is prohibited from receiving accreditations for WTA events. The exact details of the investigation are confidential but it is said to have been triggered following complaints made about his behaviour.
Rybakina abruptly ended her five-year partnership with Vukov shortly before last year’s US Open. Vukov’s name then vanished from the list of coaches published on the WTA website which prompted speculation that he might have been issued with some form of ban. The tennis coach has been accused of being abusive towards Rybakina but she has always denied those allegations.
“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 told The Athletic.
“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.”
The revelation comes less than a week after Rybakina unexpectedly announced that Vukov would be joining her team again alongside Goran Ivanisevic, who started working with the former Wimbledon champion during the off-season. A Russian tennis outlet has claimed that Vukov would be traveling to Australia but it is understood that he will not be granted credentials for the Australian Open due to his suspension.
Pam Shriver, who won 22 Grand Slam doubles titles during her career, is one of those who has criticized Vukov. When the news emerged that he would be rejoining Ryabkina’s team, the American wrote on social media that more needs to be done to tackle the abuse of players.
“It’s time for our entire sport to finally stand up to known abuse and cult like manipulations of players. This is a very sad situation and my prayers are with Elena Rybakina,” Shriver wrote on X.
According to The Athletic, Vukov’s investigation is being conducted by an independent organization and the WTA hasn’t interviewed him. Under the WTA’s safeguarding regulations, they can suspend a coach without notice if it is deemed necessary. However, it is unclear exactly how the rule was enforced in this situation when the issue in question concerns conduct.
Rybakina’s decision to bring Vukov back into her team could be her way of showing support for her mentor. However, the question now is where Ivanisevic stands in this situation. Should Vukov get reinstated to the Tour, it is unknown if he would be willing to share the job with Ivanisevic.
Ryabkina, Vukov and Ivanievic are all yet to comment on the matter. However, Rybakina will face reporters on Saturday at the United Cup where Kazakhstan will be playing Poland in the semi-finals.
