Rybakina's Coach Vukov 'Should Be Banned Forever' According To Serena Williams' Ex-Coach

Friday, 14 February 2025 at 21:21

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byErik Virostko

Elena Rybakina chose to stay with her coach, Stefano Vukov, despite his one-year ban from coaching the WTA Tour. However, former doubles WTA World No. 1, Rennae Stubbs, thinks Vukov should have been banned for life.

Unfortunately, instead of her tennis, Rybakina's coaching team has been in the spotlight in recent months. After parting ways with controversial coach Vukov last year, the 2022 Wimbledon champion chose to rehire him again this year.

It was a shocking decision, especially since Vukov was recently banned by the WTA. His ban will last for one year, and despite this decision, Rybakina has decided to continue working with him, even though Vukov can't be officially present with her at events.

But there are many voices calling on her to part ways with Vukov. Former WTA player Rennae Stubbs discussed Rybakina's relationship with her coach during the recent episode of her 'The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.'

As a former player and someone who has been around the Tour, Stubbs seemingly has more information than most of the fans about the true nature of the relationship between Rybakina and Vukov, and she thinks it's really toxic.

"Look, some of us know a lot more than others. I clearly was around this toxic environment with him and her quite often. I have spoken about it on the podcast many times and you know people did say that well it’s her decision."

"Yes, it is her decision, but you know there are a lot of cohesive controlled relationships that get really toxic and really bad, and do I think that she is in an environment that is not healthy for her? Absolutely! There’s no question about it."

Stubbs also suggested that the fact that people who worked with Rybakina stopped working with her only confirms that the environment in her team is likely toxic.

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"You don’t see her coach Goran Ivanisevic decide after this time, even though he enjoyed working with her, say 'I'm outta here' because he’s clearly saying stuff that he’s not okay with them too."

"But also the fitness trainer [Azuz Simsich], you know who’s been there for a long long time… And he’s gone as well. When you have the information that they have, there are clearly people in her camp or around her to say the things that have been said about what he has said and what he has done to her."

The former doubles WTA World No. 1 player also thinks that Vukov's one-year ban is not sufficient. Stubbs thinks that the Croatian coach should be banned from the WTA Tour for life.

"In that respect, that is her work environment saying 'sorry this is unacceptable, you are banned for a year' and quite honestly, I think he should be banned forever on the WTA Tour."

"He should not be allowed to be able to come on the tour and work with any girl because that’s his tendency, particularly when you have someone as lovely and as nice and as great a player as Elena. I think it is a really great move, but what is she going to do about it personally, again, now that is her decision."