Elena Rybakina’s mother reportedly sent a heartbreaking email to her banned coach (Image: Getty)
Last week, the on ’s long-term coach.
Stefano Vukov had pending an investigation into a breach of the tour’s Code of Conduct.
of Rybakina have now been shared by , including a heartbreaking email the 25-year-old’s mother reportedly sent to the 37-year-old coach.
Rybakina has been working with Vukov since 2019. He was with her when she lifted her maiden Grand Slam title at in 2022.
The pair split ahead of the 2024 US Open, but the world No. 7 was back in contact with Vukov by autumn. On New Year’s Day, she officially announced he had rejoined her team via an story, but it then emerged that Vukov was serving a provisional suspension.
The WTA has since concluded their investigation, and his ban remains.
“The WTA confirms that the independent investigation into a potential breach of the WTA Code of Conduct by Stefano Vukov has concluded. Following this process, the suspension remains in place,” the governing body for women’s tennis said in a statement.
The WTA upheld their ban on Stefano Vukov (Image: Getty)
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WTA CEO Portia Archer is said to have informed Rybakina and Vukov of the investigation’s findings at the end of January.
In a letter, Archer wrote that Vukov’s violations of the code involved “engaging in abuse of authority and abusive conduct” and “physical and verbal abuse”, and “exploiting [his] relationship” with the 25-year-old tennis player.
She also reportedly noted that Vukov previously received an email from Rybakina’s mother, who asked him not to make her daughter cry again.
As a result, Vukov refused to coach the former champion at one event. Rybakina’s friends and family were also said to have been concerned about the world No. 7’s relationship with Vukov.
In January, via text message, Vukov told The Athletic: “Definitely never abused anyone.” He has since not responded for comment.
The 37-year-old is not able to coach Rybakina or obtain a coaching credential for WTA Tour events while banned, but the Kazakh ‘regularly’ speaks to Vukov about her matches.
Rybakina has . Vukov reportedly arranged their partnership, and Sanguinetti previously confirmed they remain in communication.
“Stefano and I talk a lot, we are on the same wavelength. It’s not a problem to have two coaches, it’s almost a trend now,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Rybakina has maintained that Vukov “never mistreated her” and has not been happy with the WTA’s investigation and outcome.
The 25-year-old was competing in Doha when the WTA confirmed Vukov would remain banned. “I’m just disappointed with the situation, and how the process went. I’m not going to comment much on that any more,”