- Vukov is under investigation by the WTA for alleged failure to comply with its code of conduct
- Rybakina parted ways with the Croatian coach in August and signed Goran Ivanisevic
- He announced that Vukov would join his team before the Australian Open.
Elena Rybakina insisted she was “never mistreated” by her coach Stefano Vukov, who is currently the subject of a WTA investigation.
Since last year, Vukov has been under provisional suspension while the WTA investigates an alleged violation of its code of conduct.
Rybakina parted ways with the Croatian in August and hired Goran Ivanisevic, but before the Australian Open she announced that Vukov would rejoin her team, even though he is banned from a coaching role and banned from the site under the terms of his suspension.
“Well, first of all, with this whole situation I don't want to talk too much about what happens next,” said Rybakina, seeded No. 6 here in Melbourne. “But I definitely don't agree with a lot of things the WTA did in the sense of my relationship with Stefano.
'I have never made any complaints. I always said that he never mistreated me.
There has always been a lot of commentary on social media about the dynamic between Rybakina and Vukov, with some taking offense to the way he communicates with her on the court.
Elena Rybakina insists she was “never mistreated” by her former coach Stefano Vukov
Vukov is under investigation by the WTA for alleged failure to comply with its code of conduct
There has always been a lot of commentary on social media about the dynamic between Rybakina and Vukov.
The main critic has been Pam Shriver, former Wimbledon doubles champion and now Donna Vekic's coach. Shriver has spoken out about her “inappropriate and harmful” relationship with a former coach.
Rybakina said: 'Pam Shriver, I don't know her personally. She never came to see me, she never talked to me, but I know her story. It's sad, but it doesn't mean that other players are facing the same problems. Since she doesn't know me, I don't think it's fair to make comments like that, especially being an active coach and commentator.”
Rybakina's decision to re-engage Vukov, or at least attempt to, has left Ivanisevic in a strange position and the player was not exactly effusive when asked to confirm that the former Wimbledon champion was her main coach.
'Well, as you see we are here, we are working. Yes, it's him,' he said. 'We just did the preseason. It hasn't been long but we're getting to know each other.'
With a ruling expected soon in the Vukov case, this promises to be an uncomfortable parallel narrative to Ryabkina's attempts to reach her second final here in Melbourne.