Elena Rybakina And Stefano Vukov: Kazakh Star's Alleged Relationship With Her Coach And WTA's Probe

Elena Rybakina has defeated Jessica Pegula, and the Kazakh star has now secured a spot in the WTA Finals final. She strung together six straight wins to mark her entry into the final in Riyadh, a move closer to her 11th career title. The Russian-born Kazakhstani has scripted one of the most remarkable runs of her career in the 2025 WTA Finals. Rybakina arrived as the eighth seed and entered the championship with moderate expectations.

From underdog to finalist: How Elena Rybakina beat Jessica Pegula to reach the 2025 WTA Finals final

However, to everyone's surprise, she opened her campaign with a memorable comeback victory over Iga Swiatek. From showcasing her trademark composure to saving break points, she received a lot of attention, and the bookmakers had started taking her seriously. In the following rounds, she had a clinical straight-sets win over Ekaterina Alexandrova. She finished the group stage unbeaten, which was something no one had predicted before the start of the tournament.

In the semi-final against Jessica Pegula, Elena Rybakina showcased how exceptional she is when it comes to delivering power-driven serves and forehands, as she delivered a barrage of 15 aces against the American tennis star. After winning the nail-biting semi-final, Rybakina will be up against Aryna Sabalenka for the title. She is going to be an underdog against Sabalenka, who is currently the World No. 1 in women's singles. However, because of her dramatic journey to the final, people are excited to see whether she can pull another rabbit out of the hat when it matters most.

A historic finalist and a rumoured romance: Elena Rybakina's record-breaking run and alleged link to her ex-coach, Stefano Vukov

Regardless of the outcome, Elena Rybakina has already made a name for herself as the first Kazakh player in history to reach the final of the WTA Finals. The 26-year-old tennis star has already engraved her name in the history books. However, if she managed to pull off the unlikely upset in the final to take the trophy to Kazakhstan, then it would surely go down in history as one of the biggest moments in tennis history.

Elena Rybakina has been remarkable in her career so far and rarely talks about her dating life in the media. As per multiple reports, Rybakina is extremely focused on her career and isn't dating anyone right now. However, in 2024, her personal life attracted significant attention after unidentified rumours alleged that the Kazakh star was linked to her ex-coach, Stefano Vukov. Yes! You read it right. Although there are no credible sources to confirm their alleged dating rumours, the WTA's involvement in the matter only fuelled speculation.

Elena Rybakina began training under Stefano Vukov in 2019, and under his coaching, she refined her aggressive baseline game, won multiple titles, and broke into the top 20. Rybakina and Vukov's partnership was gaining widespread appreciation in the tennis world as she continued to improve under his guidance. However, in January 2025, WTA provisionally suspended Vukov after he was found guilty in a code-of-conduct investigation. Although the governing body didn't reveal the exact details of their investigation in public, it cited "behavioural concerns" as the reason behind Vukov's dismissal.

Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukov's controversy: WTA suspension, dating rumours, and new coaching team explained

Soon, unidentified sources and several people began circulating rumours about Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukov being in an alleged romantic relationship. There were speculations that Rybakina and Vukov allegedly shared hotel rooms and reportedly developed a relationship beyond coaching. There was a strong buzz on social that the elite duo was overly dependent on each other, and their dynamic wasn't healthy as it should be between a player and a coach. WTA neither denied nor confirmed these speculations.

After WTA had provisionally suspended Stefano Vukov, his student, Elena Rybakina publicly condemned the association's decision. She clearly stated that Vukov never mistreated her, and she didn't file a complaint against him. Not only this, Rybakina also called the WTA's decision "unfair". She said, "He never mistreated me. I have never filed any complaint against him." Finally, in mid-2025, Vukov's ban was lifted after an internal appeal, and his accreditation was restored.

Since Stefano Vukov's suspension, Elena Rybakina officially hired Goran Ivanisevic as her new head coach for the 2025 season. However, after she crashed out of the Australian Open, Ivanisevic announced the end of his coaching tenure with Rybakina. After this, she hired Davide Sanguinetti, who allowed Vukov to be a part of the coaching staff after his suspension was lifted. Thus, as of November 2025, Rybakina's official head coach is Sanguinetti, while Vukov is a part of the coaching staff.

What are your thoughts on Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukov's controversy? Let us know.

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