Rybakinas Victory Speech: A Grateful Tribute to the Suspended Coach Vukov

The 12th-ranked player in the world, Kazakhstan’s tennis star Elena Rybakina, expressed her gratitude to her coach Stefano Vukovic after her triumph at the WTA 500 clay tournament in Strasbourg, France. Vukovic had been suspended from coaching by the WTA for breaching the tour’s code of conduct.

«I want to thank my team. I have a great and supportive team. Special thanks to my fitness coach, physiotherapist, Stefano, and my family,» Rybakina said during the awards ceremony.

In 2024, Rybakina announced her decision to part ways with the Croatian coach Stefano Vukovic and was without a coach until the start of the WTA Finals, where she brought on Goran Ivanisevic as her new mentor. In January 2025, Elena reintroduced Vukovic back into her team, only for it later to be revealed that he had been banned from working with the WTA due to ethical violations. By the end of January, Rybakina ended her collaboration with Ivanisevic and started working with Sanginetti.