Stefano Vukov's alleged obsession with Elena Rybakina comes to light as more details emerge regarding their split

The ongoing controversy surrounding former Wimbledon champion and ex-coach Stefano Vukov is far from over, as more details have been brought to light regarding the duo's relationship.

Vukov began working with Rybakina in a coaching capacity in 2019, guiding the Kazakh star to her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. However, Rybakina split from Vukov prior to last year's US Open, only to announce he would be rejoining her camp in January this year.

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WTA suspends Vukov from coaching due to code of conduct violations

A report by The Athletic detailed proceedings of what happened following Vukov's dismissal last summer. Over the next two days in New York in August, Vukov was told by a member of Rybakina’s team that he had been dismissed as her coach and to leave her alone.

However, the 37-year-old Croatian coach walked the lobby of her hotel, flooding her phone with text messages and more than 100 calls — according to sources with personal and professional relationships with Rybakina who were present at the hotel — as he sought another chance to convince Rybakina that her tennis career could not thrive without him.

His actions pushed some members of Rybakina’s inner circle to tell WTA Tour officials that they feared for the safety of the Kazakhstani player, those sources say. This prompted the WTA, which had already received multiple complaints from observers about Vukov’s behavior as a coach, to open an independent investigation into him and provisionally suspend Vukov from coaching and from obtaining WTA credentials to tennis events.

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On Jan. 31, WTA chief executive Portia Archer informed Vukov and Rybakina of the investigation’s conclusions. Having violated the WTA Tour’s code of conduct, Vukov was banned from coaching for one year, and required to take classes in appropriate coaching behavior. Vukov has denied any wrongdoing and is considering an appeal, which he must submit by Feb. 21. Meanwhile, Rybakina added Davide Sanguinetti to her coaching staff, and has been working with the Italian coach since her loss at the 2025 Australian Open.

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