Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina doubles down in defence of returning coach under investigation by the WTA and insists he 'never mistreated' her
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Elena Rybakina insisted she was ‘never mistreated’ by her coach Stefano Vukov, who is currently the subject of a WTA investigation. Since last year Vukov has been under a provisional suspension while the WTA look into an alleged breach of their code of conduct.
![[Vukov is under investigation by the WTA for alleged breach of their code of conduct]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/11/08/93986907-14273379-image-a-52_1736585761130.jpg)
Rybakina split from the Croatian in August and hired Goran Ivanisevic, but before the Australian Open she announced Vukov was rejoining her team - even though he is forbidden from serving a coaching role and banned from the site under the terms of his suspension.
![[There has always been plenty of social media commentary on the dynamics between Rybakina and Vukov]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/11/08/93986927-14273379-image-a-53_1736585852007.jpg)
‘Well, first of all, with the whole situation I don't want to speak much about what's going to be next,’ said Rybakina, the No6 seed here in Melbourne. ‘But definitely I don't agree with a lot of things the WTA did in the sense of my relationship with Stefano.
‘I have never made any complaints. I always said he never mistreated me.’. There has always been plenty of social media commentary on the dynamics between Rybakina and Vukov, with some taking umbrage at the way he communicates with her on court. Elena Rybakina has insisted that she was 'never mistreated' by her former coach Stefano Vukov.
Vukov is under investigation by the WTA for alleged breach of their code of conduct. There has always been plenty of social media commentary on the dynamics between Rybakina and Vukov. The chief critic has been Pam Shriver, a former Wimbledon doubles champion and now the coach of Donna Vekic. Shriver has spoken about her ‘inappropriate and damaging’ relationship with a former coach.
