Wimbledon champion sacked coach after suffering ‘psychological problems’ from his words
One tennis star had to part ways with their coach just days before a Grand Slam.
2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina reportedly sacked her coach Stefano Vukov after she suffered ‘psychological problems’ following his repeated insults towards her.
The world No. 4 had worked with Vukov, 37, for five years and they had enjoyed success together – winning her first Grand Slam title at SW19 being the highlight.
But the 25-year-old has become an enigma this season, pulling out of several tournaments including the Asian swing, with concerns raised after some blunt dealings with the media. Publicly Rybakina has claimed that a back injury has kept her out of the Korea Open, China Open and Wuhan Open.
But after her split with Vukov, Russian journalist Sofya Tartakova explained the difficulties that arose during their time working together.
“All these difficulties that she [currently] faces, she faces because of a lot of very heavy pressure associated with her former coach Vukov,” Tartakova told the Tennis Bolshei YouTube channel.
“They say that Stefano actually came to the US Open, that he was in New York, was ready to continue working with her, but Lena decided that they would break up because of a very difficult… I don’t want to say big words, not quite the correct attitude of her mentor towards her.
“That is, he “ate” her all the time, as people who
Lena say. Rybakina’s parents stood up for her, because she could not break this vicious circle. On one hand, this is the coach who worked with her since (a young age), and she herself, together with her family, chose him.
“It is clear that they were very close, she won the main achievements of her career thanks to their joint work, [but] her parents insisted that Lena change something in her tennis life, because there was pressure, and insults, and bad words said to her. They were constantly from Vukov’s lips.
“And now Elena Rybakina is suffering and trying to get rid of psychological problems. So the situation is, of course, very difficult for her, but we’ll see.”
