Elena Rybakina's barred coach, Stefano Vukov, appeals 1-year WTA tennis ban

New York Times

2 days ago

Stefano Vukov, the suspended coach of 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, has appealed his one-year suspension from coaching and obtaining credentials for women's tennis events.
Two people briefed on the appeal and the arbitration process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships in tennis, said Vukov is seeking to overturn his ban from the WTA Tour.
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Vukov, who was suspended by the WTA Tour for breaching its code of conduct, is now in private arbitration with the governing body of women's tennis, per the sources.
The WTA declined to comment, citing the fact that it does not discuss confidential arbitration processes. Vukov, who now acts as Rybakina's agent, did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Vukov has pursued relief through arbitration because under WTA rules, disputes must be resolved in this manner, rather than in court.
Under the conditions of the suspension, Vukov is prohibited from being credentialed for WTA Tour events. It also prevents him from accessing stadiums, practice courts and other facilities on site at events, as well as player accommodations. The four Grand Slams — Wimbledon, the Australian, French, and U.S. Opens — are honoring the ban. Vukov, who was in Melbourne with Rybakina for January's Australian Open, was barred from entering practice courts or her box.
The WTA provisionally suspended Vukov last fall when it opened an investigation into his behavior, as reported by The Athletic in January. Rybakina fired Vukov just before the U.S. Open. The WTA's investigation in Vukov's behavior commenced shortly after the final major of the season, and concluded four months later.
His actions in response to his dismissal, which included walking the lobby of her Manhattan hotel and flooding her phone with calls and messages in a bid to get her to take him back, pushed members of her team to tell WTA officials that they feared for her safety.
In February, WTA Tour chief executive issued Vukov with a one-year ban, informing him that he had engaged in 'abuse of authority and abusive conduct,' toward Rybakina.
In a confidential three-page letter summarizing the investigation obtained by The Athletic, Archer said Vukov had called Rybakina 'stupid' and 'retarded.' She wrote that he had told her she would 'still be picking potatoes' in Russia without him, and concluded that Vukov had 'cultivated a relationship of dependence' in which Rybakina believed she could not be successful without Vukov.
In arbitration, documents and evidence used to adjudicate a case do not become public.
Rybakina has not only since reconciled with Vukov, asking tour officials to allow him to coach her again throughout the investigation, but they have also begun a romantic relationship. The Professional Tennis Players Association, the sport's independent players' organization, had been supporting Rybakina's efforts to have Vukov reinstated as her coach, but pulled back after learning of details of the WTA investigation into him.
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During Vukov's provisional suspension, Rybakina hired Goran Ivanisevic to coach her, but before the start of the Australian Open, Rybakina announced on social media that Vukov would rejoin her team.
Shortly after that announcement, two people briefed on the WTA's investigation into Vukov, who had attended some of Rybakina's recent events before the Australian Open, described Ivanisevic as blindsided by Rybakina's public announcement of Vukov's return.
They said that he was seriously considering his position as her coach. Ivanisevic resigned after Rybakina exited the tournament in a three-set defeat to eventual champion Madison Keys. She has since worked with Davide Sanguinetti, who said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport in February that 'Vukov and Elena are close, he will always be there.'
'Stefano and I are on the same wavelength,' Sanguinetti said.
Since the conclusion of the investigation, Rybakina has begun to find some of the form that took her to the very top of women's tennis. She won her first title in more than a year in Strasbourg, France, the day before the start of the French Open. She reached the fourth round in Paris, before losing to defending champion Iga Świątek in a three-set thriller.
In Paris, Rybakina said in a news conference that she and Vukov 'practice together between the tournaments, not when the tournament is on.' This does not contravene the terms of his suspension by the WTA, as it only has jurisdiction during events.
Vukov has also suggested to associates that he intends to represent Rybakina commercially, according to two sources who have been in contact with him.