Coco Gauff reacts to the WTA’s ban on Elena Rybakina’s coach, Stefano Vukov, following allegations of mistreatment

Coco Gauff responded to the WTA’s ban on Elena Rybakina’s coach, Stefano Vukov, following charges of mistreatment against the 2022 Wimbledon champion. The world number three opted not to comment on the situation, but she admitted that the WTA had the right to defend its players.

The 25-year-old Kazakhstani player’s story has been widely discussed in the tennis world, following concerns raised about her treatment by the Croatian coach. Rybakina and Vukov split ways in 2024, and she teamed up with Goran Ivanisevic, Novak Djokovic’s former coach.

However, their partnership was short-lived, as Ivanisevic announced after the Australian Open that he would not continue coaching Rybakina beyond their trial period. During the tournament, Rybakina had already revealed that Vukov would be rejoining her team.

In an unexpected turn of events, Vukov returned to Rybakina’s camp despite being suspended by the WTA for maltreatment charges. While the coach is temporarily excluded from official competitions, Rybakina remains committed to working with him and defending him against the allegations.

Gauff was asked about the controversial case upon her arrival at the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. “From my understanding, I know she doesn’t like the decision. I know WTA also has the right to protect her.”

“Overall, I think it’s nice that the WTA is making sure that they’re out there to protect players. I definitely think that that’s important in our sport because a lot of times if you look, sometimes victims don’t even know they are a victim,” Gauff added. “In this sport, it’s happened so many times. A lot of times you see former players speaking out years after their career ended about how they were treated.”