Tennis News: Elena Rybakina's coach banned, Alexander Zverev joins Jannik Sinner
- Elena Rybakina's coach reported is banned from the WTA
- Alexander Zverev will join Jannik Sinner in Italy
By Lee Vowell
Elena Rybakina has struggled a bit in 2024. She has withdrawn or retired from eight different tournaments this year, an unusually high number for most players. This is especially true for a player who is used to being ranked in the top five. There have been rumors that her former coach was part of the issue.
Ahead of the US Open, Rybakina parted ways with long-time coach Stefano Vukov. He had been her coach since 2019. He was also known for being overly harsh and critical during her matches. There is no better way to grind a player down than to be mean to them for years. This was the case with Vukov.
Now, something else seems to be amiss. According to tennis commentator Craig Shapiro, Vukov has been removed from the official WTA coaches list. This would also imply that Vukov has been banned from the WTA. We do not know why, but what is likely not coincidental is that Rybakina and Vukov split and then suddenly he is banned from the tour.
Elena Rybakina's coach appears banned and Alexander will visit Jannik Sinner in Italy
There is likely more news of the issue to come. One should hope that Rybakina is doing OK, however.
In completely different news, Alexander Zverev has become the second player this year to cement his spot in Turin for the year-end ATP Finals. He earned enough points at the US Open to push him through. Sinner long planted his spot in Turin. He is far ahead in the ATP rankings and with little chance of being caught by anyone anytime soon.
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The ATP Finals this year might look quite different than previous seasons. There is a decent chance that Novak Djokovic does not earn enough points to qualify. Much depends on his drive to keep playing events the rest of the year. He has no real reason to prove himself by trying to win more ATP Finals.
Sinner defeated Djokovic in the round-robin stage of the ATP Finals last year, but then was swept away by the Serb in the final. Still, through the second half of last year and the first nine months of 2024, Sinner has been the best overall player on the ATP. Zverev has likely been the second-most consistent.
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