The incredible chronology of the investigation into Vukov: he violated rules and harassed Rybakina

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As we continue to learn more details about the relationship between Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukov, the more our stomach turns as toxic and abusive behaviors on the part of the Kazakh coach come to light. The Athletic has been the outlet that managed to access the WTA report that ultimately led to Vukov's disqualification. The latest news points to a pattern of continued abuse by Stefano, who violated WTA rules by continuing to communicate with Rybakina while under investigation, which, according to the report, directly caused many physical problems and illnesses over the past few months.

The most problematic and far-reaching episode took place at the 2024 US Open. As many may recall, it was at that point when Rybakina announced the end of her collaboration with Vukov, triggering a series of incidents and behaviors that ultimately led the WTA to initiate an investigation into Vukov. It was the tournament where previous alarm bells (some of which we will review here) turned into a thunderous outcry that could no longer be ignored.

OVER 100 MISSED CALLS AND SEARCHING THROUGHOUT THE HOTEL

According to this article, Vukov was informed by a member of Rybakina's team that his role as her coach had ended. This person also asked him to leave her alone... which enraged Stefano: he roamed the Manhattan hotel where Elena was staying in an attempt to confront her and demand explanations. The Kazakh's phone was inundated with messages from her former coach, receiving over 100 missed calls aimed at convincing Rybakina that her career would be nothing without him.

Upon learning about these behaviors and situations from people close to Elena (who were also concerned about her health and well-being), the WTA decided to launch a formal investigation and provisionally suspend Vukov. The investigation later concluded that Vukov had "harassed" Rybakina in New York, despite her requesting "space" from him. Furthermore, the findings also clearly depict Vukov as a "clear contradiction" to the "safe environment" that the WTA should provide for its players, and the "mental abuse" he inflicted on Rybakina manifested in injuries and illnesses. And this, of course, started much earlier.

The first public complaint about Vukov's behavior towards Rybakina surfaced at the 2023 Australian Open, where many of his actions from the sidelines became visible. Laura Robson and Pam Shriver raised concerns about Stefano's "negative" behavior, but the Kazakh, after becoming champion, defended him. A year before that, at the 2022 Miami Open, a coach witnessed Vukov calling Rybakina stupid and questioning her intelligence during pre-match exercises. "You would need to do this 50 times to get it right" is one of the phrases Stefano used: this coach sent an email to the WTA reporting that incident.

RYBAKINA'S SITUATION WORSENS

Throughout 2023 and especially in 2024, their relationship began to deteriorate. At Wimbledon 2024, the WTA was again informed of an incident where Vukov was yelling at Elena and throwing tennis balls at her: his abusive behavior was escalating, and Rybakina's health started to decline. Elena experienced insomnia episodes during the summer. Those close to her indicated she had become "more isolated than ever," spending hours on end in her hotel room: another incident occurred in Cincinnati when, during the match against Leylah Fernandez, Rybakina struggled to remember the score or even which side to serve from due to accumulated sleepless nights.

This situation reached its peak, as mentioned at the beginning of the article, at the last US Open. Before arriving in Manhattan, the WTA investigation revealed a dark detail: Rybakina's mother emailed Vukov asking him to stop "making her daughter cry". It was then that those close to Elena tried to open her eyes to the dark and toxic relationship she had with her coach, urging her to distance herself as soon as possible. Rybakina agreed and discussed the matter with her representatives and WTA members, giving them the green light to take the necessary action, such as revoking his accreditation for the next tournament.

It was during this time that the incident of the over one hundred missed calls, the messages, and the desperate search by Vukov in the hotel lobby and hallways occurred. Security ultimately expelled him, and three days later, Rybakina announced that Stefano would no longer be part of her team. At that US Open, Rybakina withdrew before the second round: her insomnia issues, discomfort, and physical weakness persisted. Several weeks later, Elena and Vukov resumed contact and, while under investigation by the WTA, they revived a relationship that, to make matters worse, became more intimate and romantic, with both sharing a room at the Australian Open, defying the premises of the WTA investigation.

The situation shows no sign of ending. Several sources suggest that Vukov may now assume another official role within Rybakina's team to continue being part of it and have a more active role, such as that of her agent or representative. Meanwhile, Ivanisevic "escaped" upon learning of the issues, Sanguinetti is coaching behind the scenes... but Vukov's influence persists despite the WTA's punishment. Will the end come soon?

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La increíble cronología de la investigación a Vukov: incumplió normas y acosó a Rybakina