Stefano Vukov would openly yell at Elena Rybakina… her US Open withdrawal was not related to Vukov” – Journalist on mystery surrounding Kazakh

Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim recently talked about Elena Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov’s behavior towards her. Rybakina had parted ways with long-time coach Vukov ahead of the 2024 US Open. She also pulled out of her second-round encounter due to an illness.

Of late, the media scrutiny around Rybakina has increased due to her withdrawal from the US Open and her parting ways with her coach. She has remained tight-lipped and has dodged questions about her coach in the press conference. This has increased fans’ curiosity about the issue, which has led to many conspiracy theories.

In the latest column of Mailbox (Sports Illustrated), tennis journalist Jon Wertheim said that many speculations around the situation are ‘baseless’.

Her longtime coach, Vukov, made a lot of people uncomfortable, including WTA personnel. (He would openly yell at her; they would sometimes squabble during matches; he got this tattoo),” Wertheim wrote.

He also talked about how Pam Shriver expressed concern over Vukov’s behavior. Wertheim also claimed that Rybakina’s withdrawal from the 2024 US Open was health-related and not related to Vukov.

“Before the 2024 U.S. Open, Rybakina announced she and Vukov were parting ways. As is her wont—and as her right—she deflected all questions. The WTA did not respond to my inquiries seeking clarification. I was told her withdrawal before Round 2 was health-related and not related to Vukov. It’s up to her to elucidate if she so chooses,” he said.