Elena Rybakina’s barred coach Stefano Vukov has WTA Tour suspension lifted after appeal
By Charlie Eccleshare
Aug. 8, 2025Updated 9:03 pm GMT+1

(Photo: Robert Prange / Getty Images)
Stefano Vukov, the previously barred coach of 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, has had his suspension from coaching and attending professional tennis events lifted after an appeal.
Vukov appealed his yearlong ban for breaching the WTA Tour’s code of conduct ahead of this year’s French Open. Two people briefed on the appeal and the arbitration process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships in tennis, said Vukov entered into private arbitration with the tour as part of the appeal, which included a hearing that took place before this year’s Wimbledon.
The WTA issued a statement to The Athletic, which said:
“The WTA is fully committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for all athletes and other participants, as set out in our WTA Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Code. Any sanctions issued following a breach of these safeguarding rules are carefully considered and are subject to appeal before an independent tribunal.
“While case details remain confidential, we can confirm that Mr. Vukov is eligible to receive credentials at WTA events. We will not be commenting further.”
Under the suspension, Vukov was unable to access stadiums, practice courts and other facilities, as well as player accommodations. The four Grand Slams — Wimbledon, the Australian, French and U.S. Opens — honored the ban. Vukov was in Melbourne with Rybakina for this year’s Australian Open, but was still not allowed to enter the courts or her box.
The WTA provisionally suspended Vukov last fall when it opened an investigation into his behavior, as reported by The Athletic in January. Rybakina fired Vukov just before the U.S. Open began in late August. The WTA’s investigation into Vukov’s behavior began shortly after the final major of the season and concluded four months later.
His actions in response to his dismissal, which included walking the lobby of Rybakina’s Manhattan hotel and flooding her phone with calls and messages in a bid to get her to take him back, pushed members of her team to tell WTA officials that they feared for her safety.
In a confidential three-page letter summarizing the investigation, WTA Tour chief executive Archer said Vukov had called Rybakina “stupid” and “retarded.” She wrote that he had told her she would “still be picking potatoes” in Russia without him, and concluded that Vukov had “cultivated a relationship of dependence” in which Rybakina believed she could not be successful without Vukov.
She informed Vukov and Rybakina that he had been issued with a one-year ban on January 31, writing that the investigation had found that he had engaged in “abuse of authority and abusive conduct” toward Rybakina.
Rybakina has since worked with Davide Sanguinetti, who said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport in February that “Vukov and Elena are close, he will always be there.”
“Stefano and I are on the same wavelength,” Sanguinetti said.
In May, Rybakina won the Strasbourg International, a 500-level event, with Sanguinetti in her on-site coaching team. She thanked Vukov during the trophy presentation speech, and confirmed during a news conference at the French Open that he had been coaching her between events.
Rybakina is seeded No. 9 at the Cincinnati Open and will play Renata Zarazúa of Mexico in the second round Saturday.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/654287 ... vukov-wta/