“His advice definitely makes a difference”: Rybakina highlights Vukov’s impact after WTA ban

Elena Rybakina returned to a Grand Slam final after three years — and she did so once again at the Australian Open, after defeating Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 [9-7], in a tight battle in which the American saved up to three match points in the second set to stay alive, but it was not enough to complete the comeback.

The world No. 5 took the lead in the head-to-head against Pegula, moving ahead 4-3, and secured her 19th victory in her last 20 matches. “I’m really happy with the win today," she said during press conference. "The second set was a very tough one, but I’m happy it went my way. I think I improved throughout the whole tournament.”

Rybakina returned to her third Grand Slam final, after winning the title at Wimbledon 2022 and finishing as runner-up at the Australian Open 2023 — falling to Aryna Sabalenka, the same rival she will face this Saturday in the hunt for the title. “I’m definitely very happy to be in the final again. I was close in other seasons when I played semifinals in the other Slams, but now I’m closer, which is great. There’s just one step to go.”

The Kazakh was arguably the best player at the end of the 2025 season, winning titles at the Ningbo Open and the WTA Finals — the latter featuring five consecutive wins against top-10 opponents. “Of course, the WTA Finals gave me a lot of confidence because I played against top players and maintained my level."

"I played tough, very close matches and won all of them,” she stated. “The conditions are different compared to other tournaments, but I think I can take only positives from that week. That’s what I’m trying to do this season — remembering the good things from the WTA Finals and bringing them into this season.”

The last time Rybakina lost to a top-10 opponent was against none other than Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals of the Wuhan Open. The Belarusian was also the rival who left her empty-handed in the Australian Open 2023 final, and who currently leads the head-to-head 8-6.

This Saturday will mark the first time in 18 years that the two finalists of a major arrive at the title match without having dropped a set — the first since Venus and Serena Williams back at Wimbledon 2008.

“It’s a nice statistic for sure. For me, it’s important that I started this tournament maybe not in my best form, but throughout the tournament it improved and I played better each match,” Rybakina said. “For me, it’s also a small success that I didn’t drop a set. I think we did a great job with the team. My form, maybe not the absolute best, but almost my best, happened here in Australia at a Grand Slam, and now I’m playing the final.”

Rybakina recalled the final in Melbourne three years ago, in which she squandered a one-set lead and eventually went down 6-4, 3-6, 4-6. “The last match we played here was very close. Throughout the match, I had some small opportunities, but at the end of the third set, Irina stepped in. She served much better and deserved the win,” the former world No. 3 claimed. “Many years have passed and a lot of matches have been played. Hopefully, with all the experience I gained since the last final I played here, I can bring that into Saturday’s match. I’ll focus on my serve, of course, because we’re both very aggressive players and serve is important.”

One of the topics Rybakina discussed was the return of her coach Stefano Vukov to her team and the contribution he has made to her return to a major final. After a couple of years of instability within her working team, the Kazakh reunited with her former coach Vukov — who had been banned from the WTA and its tournaments due to alleged mistreatment of Rybakina, although the sanction was lifted a few months ago, and the player herself defended his innocence on several occasions.

“I think it’s a big help because he knows me the best. His advice on the court during matches definitely makes a difference. The same goes for my other team members. It’s really important,” the former Wimbledon champion stated. “I’ve been working with the same physio for a long time, and now with my fitness coach we’ve been working together for a bit. I also have another coach who knows me very well and is really helping me out. The team is very important, and Stefano too, in all these results.”

It has been precisely her team that has been key to finding solutions when her serve — one of her main weapons — is not fully clicking. Against Swiatek, she landed just 49% of first serves, but the Pole was only able to break her serve once. Against Pegula, her first-serve percentage rose slightly to 55% (just 48% in the first set), yet she still managed to secure the victory in straight sets.

“My serve quite often doesn’t work as much as I want, so you need to be ready to win with other aspects of your game. Now I’m trying to stay calmer in these situations and think and adjust during the match. So far it’s been working. Hopefully the serve will help me on Saturday, but even if it doesn’t, I’ll still try to find my way.”

Rybakina confirmed she will return to her best ranking so far as world No. 3 — behind only Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. After a drop in the rankings over the past couple of seasons and a lack of consistency, Rybakina is finally back on the podium and will chase her second major title this Saturday. The head-to-head advantage stands at 8-6 for Sabalenka, although it narrows to 6-5 on hard courts.