Suspension of Rybakina’s former coach Vukov ‘remains in place,’ WTA says

LONDON (AP) — The suspension of Elena Rybakina’s former coach Stefano Vukov “remains in place,” the WTA Tour said Tuesday after confirming it had completed its investigation into a potential breach of its code of conduct.

The governing body did not specify how much longer Vukov, who had been provisionally suspended initially, would remain banned. The Croatian coach has denied wrongdoing.

Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, said last month at the Australian Open that Vukov “ never mistreated me ” in their years working together and that she disagreed with the provisional suspension.

“The WTA confirms that the independent investigation into a potential breach of the WTA code of conduct by Stefano Vukov has concluded,” it said in a statement. “Following this process, the suspension remains in place. To protect the confidentiality and integrity of the investigation and its findings, the WTA will not provide further details. 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 seventh-ranked Rybakina’s coaching situation has been complicated in recent months.

She announced just before last year’s U.S. Open that she no longer was working with Vukov and said ahead of this season that her new coach would be 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic.

But Rybakina said before the Australian Open that Vukov would be rejoining her team. At that time, the WTA noted that Vukov was under provisional suspension and ineligible to obtain a WTA credential, preventing him from going into player-only areas at tournaments such as practice courts or training areas.

After Rybakina lost in the fourth round at Melbourne Park, Ivanisevic announced that he was no longer coaching her.

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