There could be more to Elena Rybakina's split from Stefano Vukov than first thought after recent reports indicated the Portuguese was banned from the WTA Tour.
Rybakina shocked fans by splitting with longtime coach Vukov ahead of the US Open. The pair had worked together for over five years and enjoyed terrific success as a partnership.
Their most notable partnership achievement was Rybakina's run to the Wimbledon title in 2022. Although she was not considered one of the favorites before the tournament, she stormed to her maiden Grand Slam title.
Other achievements included being the runner-up at the 2023 Australian Open. Rybakina also won two WTA 1000 titles and reached a substantial 19 finals during her time working with Vukov.
Although Rybakina's results alongside the Croatian were impressive, Vukov was also criticized for his intense coaching style during her matches. Many found some of Vukov's remarks harsh and unnecessary.
Some fans online thought that was the most likely reason for the split. The 25-year-old did not reveal why she no longer worked with Vukov, making more fans speculate why the partnership ended.
Unsurprisingly, reporters were also interested in discovering why Rybakina would end such a successful partnership. But Rybakina dodged questions about the split during her press conferences at the US Open.
Rybakina eventually withdrew from the US Open just hours before her scheduled second-round match against Jessika Ponchet. She said this was due to injuries, but she did not specify what these injuries were.
However, reporting indicates Rybakina could also have been mentally impacted by looming news related to Vukov, which could also shed some light on why he was removed from the Kazakhstani team.
Tennis commentator and podcast host Craig Shapiro posted on the social media platform X that sources had told him Vukov had been removed from the official WTA coaches list, which also means a ban from the WTA Tour.
"That’s interesting. Rybakina withdraws and rumors are flying that Vukov was banned from the tour. Right now, reliable sources telling me that Vukov has been removed from the official WTA coaches list, which signifies a ban."
Shapiro did not give any further details. It is unknown what Vukov has done to be removed from the WTA coaches list if the story is true. Everything remains very unclear.
Some fans will speculate that Vukov's aggressive style finally caught up with him and led to an unsavory incident that made his presence on the WTA Tour in the future simply untenable.
However, it is important to stress that no further details are present now. Hopefully, if Vukov is banned, the full facts will come out so fans around the world can make up their own minds about the situation.
For now, Rybakina's next challenge on the court will be the Asian swing following the US Open. Whether Rybakina finds success or hires a new coach, it promises to be fascinating during the season's closing months.
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