Elena Rybakina made waves around the tennis world in the early hours of the New Year when she announced Thursday Down Under (Wednesday in the rest of the world) that her polarizing former coach, Stefano Vukov, will re-join her team for 2025.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion made the announcement in a post to her Instagram story, saying that she was “excited” for Vukov to re-join her team for the upcoming tennis season, which has already been underway for nearly a week. It confirmed a report from Russian tennis media personality Sofya Tartakova from two days prior, where she wrote that Vukov would travel to Melbourne on Jan. 4 to support Rybakina at the Australian Open.
Rybakina and Vukov parted ways last summer ahead of the US Open after a five-year working relationship, which bore fruit including her first Grand Slam singles title, another runner-up finish at the 2023 Australian Open, and a career-high ranking of world No. 3. But the Croat’s intense coaching style, where he frequently could be heard shouting incessantly at Rybakina from his place in the stands, had previously attracted criticism from fans and fellow coaches, including Hall of Famer Pam Shriver, who currently is part of the team around Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic.
Rybakina had previously vociferously defended Vukov against such criticisms, including a lengthy social media post following her run to the Melbourne final two years ago where his behavior first went viral, but was reticent to discuss the split in detail in the waning months of last season. At the year-end WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, she announced that 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, Novak Djokovic’s former coach, would be working with her going forward.
Elena Rybakina, the rising tennis star from Kazakhstan, has announced exciting news for the upcoming 2025 season. She revealed that her former coach Stefano Vukov will be re-joining her team, marking a reunion that has fans buzzing with anticipation.
Vukov, who previously worked with Rybakina in 2022 and 2023, played a crucial role in her development as a player and helped her achieve some of her biggest successes on the court. The duo parted ways in 2024, but now they are set to team up once again to chase new goals and aims for the future.
Rybakina expressed her excitement about working with Vukov again, stating that his expertise and guidance have always been invaluable to her. She believes that their partnership will bring out the best in her game and help her reach new heights in the tennis world.
Fans of Rybakina are thrilled to hear the news and are looking forward to seeing what this dynamic duo can accomplish together in the upcoming season. With Vukov back in her corner, there’s no doubt that Rybakina will be a force to be reckoned with on the court.
Stay tuned for more updates on Elena Rybakina’s journey with Stefano Vukov as they gear up for an exciting 2025 season ahead. This reunion is sure to bring even more excitement and success to Rybakina’s promising career.
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- 2025 season
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