Elena Rybakina has struggled a bit in 2024. She has withdrawn or retired from eight different tournaments this year, an unusually high number for most players. This is especially true for a player who is used to being ranked in the top five. There have been rumors that her former coach was part of the issue.
ahead of the u s a open ybakina parted ways with long-time coach Stefano Vukov. He had been her coach since 2019. He was also known for being overly harsh and critical during her matches. There is no better way to grind a player down than to be mean to them for years. This was the case with Vukov.
Now, something else seems to be amiss. According to tennis commentator Craig Shapiro, Vukov has been removed from the official WTA coaches list. This would also imply that Vukov has been banned from the WTA. We do not know why, but what is likely not coincidental is that Rybakina and Vukov split and then suddenly he is banned from the tour.
