Elena Rybakina's latest shock move might ruin her career

At the end of 2024, Elena Rybakina made a move that many in tennis celebrated. After years of being hurled verbal abuse by her coach Stefano Vukov, Rybakina decided to make a change. Vukov was not only dismissed by the player, but he was also no longer on the official coaches list for the WTA. This seemed to imply that something far more sinister had happened between player and coach.

Last year was a struggle for Rybakina. She withdrew or retired from double-digit tournaments. She complained of various injuries, but she appeared to be struggling more with her mental health than anything physical. An outsider might have assumed that Vukov was at fault as anyone at a live match of Rybakina's could hear how he spoke with her.

After moving on from Vukov, the player hired former Novak Djokovic coach, Goran Ivanisevic. The expectation was that Ivanisevic would help Rybakina perfect her already impressive serve but also help the player develop more variety in her game. She is powerful from both wings, but her lack of great touch has likely limited her career arc.

Elena Rybakina surprisingly bring Stefano Vukov back as a coach

But shockingly, Vukov is now back working with the player. The announcement was made this week on Rybakina's Instagram page as the player wrote, "Hello everyone. I am excited to announce that Stefano will be joining the team for the 2025 season. Thank you for all the support. And wishing you a great 2025."

The player likely does not care about the pushback she will receive by re-hiring Vukov, but her post does imply she is aware of the potential negative reactions. The "thank you for the support" says as much. As if she is saying, "Look, I know people are not going to like this, but here we are."

The issue is that Rybakina simply is unable to completely quit on a coach who might have helped improve her as a player, but took a toll by 2024. Maybe Ivanisevic stays in control of the team, and Vukov is simply there more for technical coaching. Hopefully, Ivanisevic is the one directing Rybakina from her player's box.

Still, the move to bring Vukov back could be the start of the end of Rybakina's career. She is still young enough to play for many years, but she also quit on tournaments last year. Vukov could not help then; he might have been the cause for the player's lack of drive, and, unless he has greatly changed as a person, could do more harm than good for the player moving forward.

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