As Elena Rybakina takes the court for the U.S. Open final against Aryna Sabalenka on September 12, some fans are wondering whether she has a boyfriend, and a lot of scrutiny falls on her coach, Stefano Vukov. She is now the world’s top-ranked women’s professional tennis player.
Rybakina keeps her dating life very private. She posts glimpses into her personal life and travels on Instagram, but never shows a boyfriend in them. According to Athlon Sports, speculation about her dating life has centered around her complicated dynamic with her coach, Stefano Vukov, who has been the subject of accusations of how he treats her. She has never confirmed that he is her boyfriend, however.
Either way, though, Rybakina’s relationship with Vukov is very controversial.
A Tennis Presenter Claimed Elena Rybakina Is Dating Stefano Vukov
(Photo by Tim Clayton/Getty Images)
Barbara Schett, a former Austrian tennis pro who is now a television presenter, told German language magazine Kicker that Rybakina’s former coach Goran Ivanisevic alleged that Rybakina and Vukov are romantically involved.
“I’ve been talking about the subject for a long time with Goran Ivanisevic (Rybakina’s ex-coach, note). He meant the problem is that they are privately in love,” Schett alleged to Kicker.
“Vukov wants to sneak into it and regain his place in the team. This is a disaster, of course. He has to get out of their lives after all that he has done. I saw in Australia myself what he called in from the Players Box. You just can’t do that. Therefore, I think it is great that the WTA has protected its players and drawn consequences.”
Elena Rybakina Has Had a Complicated Professional Relationship with Coach Stefano Vukov
According to BBC, Rybakina “has worked with coach Stefano Vukov for almost seven years,” but the relationship has caused controversy. After six years working together, the professional relationship briefly ended.
Vukov was briefly banned from the WTA Tour “for breaching its code of conduct, following an independent investigation into his behaviour towards Rybakina,” according to BBC, which added that both Vukov and Rybakina denied that he ever mistreated her. “For years, there were informal complaints from observers about Vukov and his treatment of Rybakina,” Sports Illustrated reported, noting that the concerns revolved around how he spoke to her.
He successfully appealed the suspension and was coaching Rybakina again by late 2025.
Elena Rybakina Praised Stefano Vukov in an Instagram Post, Saying He Has ‘Believed in Me for Many Years’
Rybakina praised Vukov in an Instagram post amid the controversy.
“Stefano has believed in me for many years, before anyone else did. We plotted a strategy together in how I could achieve great things and his method shows in my Grand Slam success so far,” she wrote, according to Athlon Sports.
During the U.S. Open coverage, Marion Bartoli, a former French tennis player turned broadcaster, said, “There is something quite extraordinary happening.”
“Basically, before every single serve, [Stefano] Vukov is showing [Elena] Rybakina where to serve, and she is just following the pattern that he is showing her,” she added, according to Tennis Head. However, later in that early round match, it appeared that she was disputing his suggestions.
from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/CsWf2x8
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