Elena Rybakina pointedly refuses to pose with WTA CEO after winning WTA Finals

Elena Rybakina showed her disgust with the WTA's treatment of her by declining to pose for a photo with the Chief Executive Officer during the 2025 WTA Finals ceremony.

Many of the stories written about Rybakina for over a year have been about her relationship with Stefano Vukov. He became the Kazakhstani's coach in 2019, and she developed superbly after his appointment.

Rybakina suddenly split from Vukov shortly before the 2024 US Open. The 2022 Wimbledon winner did not reveal what led to that surprising move, and simply wished her long-term coach well for the future.

It seemed like Rybakina had moved on from him when she announced Goran Ivanisevic as her new coach. His successful playing career and coaching spell with Novak Djokovic meant the move generated excitement.

However, the partnership ended swiftly after Rybakina unexpectedly revealed that Vukov would return to the team to work alongside Ivanisevic in 2025. The Croatian left the role after this year's Australian Open.

Rybakina's announcement about Vukov meant the WTA felt it had no choice but to reveal that he had been provisionally suspended on suspicion of mistreating the 26-year-old during their time together.

Subsequent reports provided disturbing details about Vukov yelling at Rybakina, using insulting names, and throwing balls at her when unhappy. The coach had also been criticized before for being harsh during matches.

Despite those reports, Rybakina has consistently defended Vukov, saying he never mistreated her. It has been widely reported that the pair are in a romantic relationship off the court in addition to his role as a coach.

Vukov successfully appealed his suspension in August, allowing him to travel with Rybakina again at WTA tournaments. He has returned to being a constant figure in her box as a coach.

Rybakina won the second most important title of her career by beating Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6 to triumph at the 2025 WTA Finals. She did not lose a match at the event and thoroughly deserved the title.

Despite the elation of that moment, the scars from the lengthy saga surrounding Vukov's suspension remain evident following Rybakina's refusal to pose with Portia Archer, the WTA's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since August 2024.

Rybakina clearly cannot forgive Archer for being the CEO when Vukov received his suspension. Archer and Sabalenka taking a photo together at the WTA Finals ceremony, without the winner present, must have been awkward.

2025 was one of the best and most competitive seasons in women's tennis history. There were four different Grand Slam winners: Madison Keys at the Australian Open, Coco Gauff at the French Open, Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, and Aryna Sabalenka at the US Open.

Although she did not win a Grand Slam and narrowly missed out on the WTA Finals, 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva had a breakthrough by winning two 1000-level titles. Fellow teenager Victoria Mboko's unexpected triumph at the 2025 Canadian Open was even more remarkable.

Elena Rybakina then reminded fans that she is among the best players in the world by winning the WTA Finals. The women's game is much more open than the men's, which Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated for two years.