Elena Rybakina's suspended coach Stefano Vukov has appealed his one year ban from the sport it has been confirmed late Sunday night.
Vukov as per The Athletic is looking to overturn his ban after being suspended by the tour for breaching its code of conduct and is now in private arbitration with the WTA. He has gone this route as disputes must be resolved in this manner over in court.
Under the conditions of his ban, Vukov cannot be credentialed for WTA Tour events and is prevented from accessing stadiums, practice courts and other on site facilities. Wimbledon, the Australian, French, and U.S. Open are all honoring said ban.
But there is a slight issue with the ban in regards to the loopholes around it as it is only at events. So Rybakina who thanked Vukov after winning Strasbourg and also said they still train together won't get reprimanded for technically still having him as her coach while she isn't playing tournaments.
He also as per the report is not only her coach but also her agent and boyfriend further welding himself into the fabric of the Kazakh tennis star with the news dropping of the ban overturning after she was defeated at the French Open after going a set up against Iga Swiatek.
The WTA suspended Vukov last autumn and this came after Rybakina herself had fired him after the US Open after flooding her phone and walking the lobby of her hotel in Manhattan reportedly. This saw her team report him due to safety fears.
The WTA then banned him in February informing him he had engaged in 'abuse of authority and abusive contact'. He also intends to represent her commercially according to the report. It is unknown when this will be resolved or whether he will get it overturned but amid Rybakina's return to form as such, the black cloud of news regarding this coaching relationship still looms.
Match Statistics Rybakina vs. Swiatek
| Rybakina | VS | Swiatek |
|---|---|---|
| Service | ||
| 3 | Aces | 2 |
| 3 | Double Faults | 7 |
| 48% (40/84) | 1st Service Percentage | 57% (57/100) |
| 73% (29/40) | 1st Service Points Won | 63% (36/57) |
| 45% (20/44) | 2nd Service Points Won | 49% (21/43) |
| 50% (4/8) | Break Points Saved | 71% (10/14) |
| 71% (10/14) | Service Games | 71% (10/14) |
| Return | ||
| 37% (21/57) | 1st Return Points Won | 28% (11/40) |
| 51% (22/43) | 2nd Return Points Won | 55% (24/44) |
| - | Break Points Saved | - |
| Other | ||
| 2h 32m | Match Duration | 2h 32m |
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