Elena Rybakina's coach cleared by WTA Tour to return from suspension
Stefano Vukov was provisionally suspended in January while the tour conducted an investigation. It announced in February that had been completed and that the ban remained in place, without saying how long it would last.
The organization said Friday that Vukov would again be permitted to receive credentials allowing him access to player areas and practice courts at its events.
'The WTA is fully committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for all athletes and other participants, as set out in our WTA Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Code,' the tour said in a statement. 'Any sanctions issued following a breach of these safeguarding rules are carefully considered and are subject to appeal before an independent tribunal. While case details remain confidential, we can confirm that Mr. Vukov is eligible to receive credentials at WTA events.'
The New York Times first reported that Vukov's ban had been lifted.
Rybakina announced before last year's U.S. Open that Vukov would no longer be her coach, but then said before the Australian Open that he would be rejoining her team. She insisted that he had never mistreated her during their time working together.
Rybakina, ranked No. 10 on the WTA Tour, just reached the semifinals of the National Bank Open in Montreal before losing to Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, the eventual champion.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Liverpool have ‘clear run' to agree IDEAL signing
While the focus is understandably on bringing in a new attacker before the window closes, a centre-back has must also sit at the top of Richard Hughes' to-do-list over the next few weeks. Jarell Quansah's move to Bayer Leverkusen now feels like ages ago, but the significance of that transfer hasn't been forgotten. Buying a replacement is imperative if we're to be successful again. LFC x adidas Shop the away range TODAY LFC x adidas Shop the home range today! LFC x adidas Shop the goalkeeper range today LFC x adidas Shop the new adidas range today! Of course, there are players in Arne Slot's squad that can cover the vacant position if one of Virgil van Dijk or Ibrahima Konate get injured, but the solutions available are far from substantial. To not bringing someone else in would be to start the season with a glaringly obvious weakness. 🔴 Shop the LFC 2025/26 adidas away range Fortunately, a number of defensive targets are being rumoured of possible moves to Merseyside and an exciting update has just be published on someone would be a huge transfer scalp to secure. Reds have 'clear-run' at Guehi According to Mike McGrath at The Telegraph, the club's chances of signing a centre-back have risen. In his latest update, he said: "Liverpool are in pole position to land England centre-back Marc Guehi should he leave Crystal Palace this summer with a year left on his contract. "... They will have a clear run at the 25-year-old as Chelsea are currently prioritising other transfer targets despite Levi Colwill's anterior ligament injury leaving them short at the back. "Newcastle came close to signing Guehi a year ago with talks over a £70m deal but they are focusing on different positions, with a striker the priority for Eddie Howe." As such, the competition is slowly falling away and Liverpool remain interested. The move is on. It cannot be underestimated how significant it is that Chelsea have pulled away, since Colwill is set to miss most of the season with his ACL injury. New signing and former Liverpool target Jorrel Hato is in line to cover him, but another defender was certainly on most Chelsea fans' minds this week. Furthermore, while Newcastle might still have hopes of signing him, since their situation is incredible similar to the Reds' - both teams want a new striker and a defender - I wouldn't rule anything out yet. But ever since our interest in Guehi was announced, fans have been really excited about the move. If it appears likely that Ibrahima Konate will move on a free transfer next summer, then already having a seasoned professional with leadership experience will certainly help to ease the team's transition. In addition, while Guehi might also be available for free next summer upon the expiration of his contract, Liverpool would be taking a significant risk by waiting now we have a 'clear run' at him. McGrath didn't include a valuation of the player in his update, but around £40m is expected to get a deal done. From an outsiders point of view, Liverpool should just pay the money, although a more structured agreement is likely to be necessary if Guehi is someone the recruitment team like. But notions of deciding against signing a centre-back need to be banished. We're talking about risking the Premier League title this season if the position isn't sufficiently addressed over the next three weeks and with at least one of the Reds' targets ready for a formal approach, a deal is pivotal.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tottenham Hotspur Face Stiff Competition For This Bournemouth Defender: Is He Worth The Fight?
In a recent report, L'Equipe claimed that Tottenham Hotspur are facing stiff competition for Bournemouth defender Ilya Zabarnyi this summer. It has been mentioned that Spurs would have to rival Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United in the race to land the Ukrainian centre-back this off-season. Zabarnyi's Impressive Form In The Premier League Zabarnyi had a solid campaign at the English club after he put in a string of impressive displays for them on the defensive end of the field. The Ukrainian talent participated in 39 matches for Bournemouth last season, securing one assist in all competitions. The 22-year-old was a rock at the back for the Cherries and deserves credit for making 52 tackles, 33 blocks and 41 interceptions in the Premier League. He was even careful when distributing the ball from inside his half, based on his pass success rate of 82.1% in top-flight football (stats via His current contract at the Vitality Stadium will expire in the summer of 2029, which could make it difficult for Spurs to sign him on the cheap in this transfer window. ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 03: Illya Zabarnyi #27 of AFC Bournemouth plays the ball during the Premier League Summer Series match between AFC Bournemouth and West Ham United FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 03, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by) Tottenham Hotspur Are Facing Stiff Competition For Zabarnyi: Is He Worth The Fight? Zabarnyi is a good tackler of the ball and can sense the danger well to earn the ball back for his team inside his half. He usually puts his foot through the ball when needed and can use his strong 1.89m frame to dominate the opposition attackers in the air. The Ukrainian sensation excels at playing his way out from the back. He has already got some valuable experience in the Premier League and won't take much time to adjust to life at Tottenham if they can find a way to get a deal done for him. Zabarnyi would add more bite and steel to Spurs head coach Thomas Frank's defence. He is good enough to nail down a regular first-team place at the North London club. At 22, Zabarnyi has his peak years ahead of him, which makes him a worthy target for Tottenham to pursue in this transfer window. He would be well worth the fight, so Spurs would be wise to go all out to bring him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this off-season.
New York Times
21 minutes ago
- New York Times
Arsenal 3 Athletic Club 0: Gyokeres' first goal, Rice-Zubimendi promise and a new avenue of attack
Arsenal's pre-season preparations ended in impressive style as they beat Spanish side Athletic Club 3-0 at the Emirates. Viktor Gyokeres registered his first goal for the club, which was created by fellow new arrival Martin Zubimendi, with Bukayo Saka also on the scoresheet. Kai Havertz rounded off Arsenal's evening with an 82nd-minute strike. Advertisement There was then a penalty shootout after the match, and Zubimendi was on target to win it for Arsenal (6-5). Next up for Mikel Arteta's side is a trip to Manchester United's Old Trafford on August 17, when they will be attempting to get their Premier League campaign off to a winning start. Dan Sheldon and Art de Roche break down Arsenal's performance against the La Liga side. As the Arsenal team was called out over the public address system, the loudest cheer was reserved for Gyokeres, the €63.5million (£54.8m, $74.2m) signing from Sporting CP who Arsenal fans hope will fire the team to the 2025-26 Premier League title. The 27-year-old's first start came on Wednesday against Villarreal, but he had to wait until Saturday evening to get off the mark. He had a tame effort saved by Athletic Club's Unai Simon in the 21st minute, but found his head to be more useful as he directed a brilliant cross from Zubimendi past the Spanish goalkeeper. The loudest cheer, however, came after the ball had rippled the net, with Declan Rice encouraging Gyokeres to pull out his trademark celebration. He obliged, and the Emirates lapped it up. Gyokeres came close to adding a second goal, with his diving header — from Noni Madueke's cross — being parried onto the post by Simon. His goal aside, there was plenty of good link-up play involving Gyokeres, which should please Arteta, and that will only continue to get better as he and his new team-mates become more accustomed to playing with one another. 'I think he pins both centre-backs and he is a player that if you leave him with space one against one, then he is going to destroy you, so he is going to create a lot of space for us,' Arteta said of Gyokeres. 'In any situation, there is a player there that can score a goal. That first goal is always very, very important, and he took it really well.' Dan Sheldon After months of waiting, Arsenal fans finally got their first real look at a midfield three of Martin Odegaard, Zubimendi and Rice. The trio played some minutes alongside each other earlier in pre-season, but this was their first start together, and it did not disappoint. Odegaard kept to his usual pocket of space off the right for the most part, despite his lovely pass for Arsenal's second goal coming from a more central area. Advertisement The dynamic between Rice and Zubimendi was particularly interesting to watch. 'We saw another evolution today,' Arteta said, speaking about how the pair complemented each other and were not stuck to rigid positions. Zubimendi started as the deepest midfielder, but at times Rice was the player to take up that role. Rice particularly impressed with multiple long passes in behind for Saka, which helped speed up Arsenal's attacks. His more central positioning also allowed Riccardo Calafiori to excel by pushing wider and further forward. As for Zubimendi, he was incredibly composed with quick, sharp passes in possession, while also showing the necessary awareness and bite defensively. The Spain international's performance was capped off by his whipped assist for Gyokeres, but the interchanging between him and Rice made for good viewing all on its own. The collective performance of the midfield was promising ahead of the opening day trip to Old Trafford. Add the pre-season performances of Ethan Nwaneri to the mix and Arteta should feel encouraged by his new-look midfield. Art de Roche One of the underlying themes of Arsenal's pre-season has been more direct attacking play. It was noticeable early on against Tottenham Hotspur in Hong Kong, and once again against Athletic Club. Saka was found by long passes in behind twice in the opening exchanges on Saturday. Both times he brought the ball down with a velvet-like touch before eliminating left-back Inigo Lekue one-versus-one. For years it has felt like Arsenal do not make the most of space behind defenders when they build up slowly, making this a truly refreshing change of pace. Saka benefited from this directly for his goal. With the ball bobbling around the centre circle, Odegaard's cushioned pass in behind freed up Gabriel Martinelli, who laid it off to the England international for an easier finish. Advertisement More direct play was expected with the arrival of Gyokeres, who brought genuine excitement whenever he was found galloping into open space. Even though these moments did not end in goals, the signs are positive. Kai Havertz then seized the moment well when Saka knocked the ball up to the halfway line, where Athletic Club were left exposed. Running powerfully, Havertz reached the ball first, carried it into the box while holding off a challenge, and finished calmly. On the more direct approach, Arteta said: 'Having threat from all areas of the pitch into the last line is a weapon we need to continue to develop. 'It can be from David (Raya), it can be from the last line, it can be from people playing on the base. Today, we had from many situations a feeling of, 'Yeah, at any moment we can attack their backs and be very dangerous', and that will create a lot of space for other players inside.' Art de Roche Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
