Rennae Stubbs, former world No. 1 in doubles, has opened up about a tense encounter with Elena Rybakina’s ex-coach Stefano Vukov. Stubbs revealed that Vukov once sought to sue her after she raised concerns about his “very negative” coaching style.
Vukov and Rybakina had worked together for over five years before parting ways in August 2024. However, in a surprising twist, Rybakina announced on January 1 that Vukov would be rejoining her team after the hire of Goran Ivanisevic as her coach at the end of last season.
But just a day after Rybakina’s announcement, the news broke that Vukov had been provisionally suspended by the WTA for a potential breach of their code of conduct. This led to an official investigation into his actions. Last week, the WTA confirmed that Vukov would remain banned from coaching Rybakina, with reports from The Athletic indicating that the ban would last for a full year.
The WTA released a statement confirming that an independent investigation had concluded, and the suspension would stand. However, they provided no further details to protect the confidentiality of the findings. “We remain committed to ensuring that all matters are handled in a fair and objective manner in accordance with the WTA Code of Conduct,” the statement read.
In shocking revelations, The Athletic reported that Rybakina had suffered what was described as “mental abuse” during her time working with Vukov, with their professional relationship referred to as “toxic” in a letter from WTA CEO, Portia Archer. Despite these reports, Rybakina has publicly maintained that Vukov “has never mistreated” her and has expressed disappointment over his suspension.
Speaking on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Stubbs recounted how Vukov had previously confronted her for comments she made about him. “He came after me and wanted to sue me, okay, for saying things about him that were true, that have been now investigated for years and are now true,” Stubbs said.
The six-time Grand Slam doubles champion went on to explain how Vukov’s actions have since been validated by others within Rybakina’s own team. “He has been banned for a year now because what I told them years ago has now been backed up by several other people who are in her actual team,” Stubbs noted.
She also recalled witnessing Vukov’s behavior firsthand. “I have seen him yelling at her, I could have been one of those witnesses. And I probably was one of those witnesses because they interviewed me years ago about him because I made comments on this podcast years ago about him.” Stubbs clarified that her initial comments weren’t about abuse, but rather about Vukov’s negativity, suggesting that Rybakina could reach even greater heights with a more positive coaching approach.
Stubbs’s early warnings about Vukov’s behavior appear to have been well-founded, with the ongoing investigation now shedding light on the troubling dynamics between him and Rybakina.