"Pretty bloody obvious it’s not good" - Serena Williams' ex-coach on Elena Rybakina's split with Stefano Vukov & his 'disappearance' amid reported ban
Serena Williams' former coach has weighed in on Elena Rybakina's injury struggles and her recent split with coach Stefano Vukov. The Kazakh ended her partnership with Vukov just days before her opening match at the 2024 US Open.
Following their split, it was reported that Vukov had been removed from the official WTA coaches list, indicating a ban. Given that the Croatian had come under significant criticism for his conduct during Rybakina's matches, with Rennae Stubbs even calling out his "astounding negativity" at this year's Miami Open, the reports further fueled speculation about the dynamics of their relationship.
The World No. 4, meanwhile, was forced to pull out of the US Open before her second-round match due to injury. The 25-year-old's fitness struggles have continued, as she recently announced her withdrawal from the China Open, citing a back injury.
However, during a recent episode of the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Stubbs expressed skepticism about injuries being the primary cause of Elena Rybakina's withdrawal, hinting there were deeper issues at play concerning her split with Stefano Vukov.
"She’s (Elena Rybakina) saying her injuries but listen, you’d have to be a dummy not to know there’s a lot more going on there. We are all rooting for her. This is a player that, arguably, at her best is the best player in the world," Stubbs said.
Stubbs also suggested that something troubling was going on with the Kazakh's former coach, highlighting his "disappearance" from the tour and arguing that it was "pretty obvious" that something was amiss.
"There’s obviously something going on with the coach. He has disappeared as well from the tour and there’s word that he’s been banned from the tour. So, there’s just something going on there that we clearly don’t have firsthand knowledge of but it’s pretty bloody obvious that it’s not good," she added.
Chris Evert extends her best wishes to Elena Rybakina amid alarming claims about her ex-coach Stefano Vukov
Rennae Stubbs' concerns were recently corroborated by tennis journalist Sonya Tartakova's shocking claims about Elena Rybakina's dysfunctional relationship with her former coach Stefano Vukov.
In an appearance on the YouTube channel 'Tennis Bolshei,' Tartakova reported that the World No. 4's recurring injury issues were more "psychosomatic" than physical, linking her "difficulties" to the immense pressure from Vukov's poor attitude. The journalist also revealed that Rybakina's parents had to step in to break the "vicious circle" of their partnership.
"All these difficulties that she faces, she faces because of a lot of very heavy pressure associated with her former coach Vukov. I don't want to say big words, not quite the correct attitude of her mentor towards her. That is, he "ate" her all the time, as people who surrounded Lena say," Tartakova said.
"Elena Rybakina's parents stood up for her, because she could not break this vicious circle," she added.
As the reports began circulating on social media, Chris Evert sent her best wishes to Elena Rybakina, hoping for her happy and healthy return to tour.
"Wishing Elena the best and hoping she comes back healthy and happy...🙏💪🏼❤️," Evert posted on X.
Rybakina has disclosed that she and her team are focused on getting her back on court at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, which is set to commence on November 2.