"This story is very old, what happened should stay between them": Former World No.3 backs Elena Rybakina amid Stefano Vukov scrutiny

Former world No. 3 Elena Dementieva has opened up about Elena Rybakina’s career path and her sometimes complicated relationship with her coach, Stefano, shedding light on a story that has long fascinated tennis fans.

Rybakina won the WTA Finals this past week but as ever when she wins a title the spotlight is shone on her coach who was banned from the sport earlier in the year amid an apparent abusive and toxic working relationship. The Kazakh was characterised for missing a lot of tournaments last year and quit her partnership with Vukov who had anchored her to glory at Wimbledon but supposedly he didn't take that lying down and stayed around the hotel trying to plead with Rybakina.

They seemed to end their relationship but he suddenly returned in January to the surprise of Goran Ivanisevic, her coach for a short time who left as a result of her decision to rehire Vukov in a capacity. He was banned shortly after and she has stand-in coach Davide Sanguinetti for a time. But the Italian was seen as a bit of a front facing figure to Vukov pulling the strings even admitting himself that he will always be there. Also on courts in the Middle East where the ban wasn't present, Vukov was still training Rybakina.

His ban was lifted and she immediately won Ningbo and qualified for the WTA Finals thrashing Aryna Sabalenka in the final but amid all the Vukov talk, Dementieva admitted on First & Red that the talk should dissipate.

“This story is very old, and I think it has been over for a long time,” Dementieva said. “It is very ambiguous. I understand that Elena, as a very private person, found herself in an extremely uncomfortable situation when the whole world began to discuss her personal and professional relationship with the coach.”

The controversy drew the attention of the Women’s Tennis Association, which launched an investigation and ultimately issued a disqualification, preventing Stefano from attending tournaments for a year. “This coincided with the moment Elena decided to break up with her coach,” Dementieva noted. “But what happened between them, we do not know—and I think it should stay between them.”

Despite the public scrutiny, Dementieva highlighted the significance of the professional bond between Rybakina and Stefano. “Elena opened up to Stefano as a tennis player. It was with him that she achieved her biggest and most important victories. They started working together when she was in the top 200—not when she was already a top-ten player. They went through a very difficult path together, both of them for the first time: Elena as a tennis player, Stefano as a coach with such a talented player for the first time.”

On Stefano’s coaching style, Dementieva offered a nuanced perspective. “I am sure he immediately realized how much talent he had in front of him and wanted to bring it out. I admit he made some mistakes—perhaps he was too emotional or too demanding at times. But it came from a desire to help her and reveal her potential.”

She contrasted this with the approach of many seasoned coaches on the tour. “Many coaches have been around for decades, moving from one player to another. By now, they are already tired of tennis, and their main concern is usually just the bonus after a successful tournament. Here, it was a completely different situation.”

Dementieva acknowledged that the intensity of the partnership at times caused tension. “Yes, maybe he overpressed her somewhere. It is not surprising that she stopped working with him. I don’t know if it was entirely her personal decision or due to public pressure. She tried working with other specialists—she had great coaches like Goran Ivanisevic and Davide Sanguinetti—but she eventually returned to Stefano.”

Reflecting on Rybakina’s current success, Dementieva concluded: “Whether returning to Stefano was right or wrong, we are all responsible for the final championship. And in the end, it was a triumph.”

Through her comments, Dementieva painted a picture of a player-coach relationship built on trust, ambition, and mutual learning—a dynamic that helped shape Rybakina into one of the game’s brightest talents.