Elena Rybakina has reportedly discovered a substitute for Stefano Vukov at the least for the rest of the yr as Kazakhstan Tennis Federation Vice President Dias Doskarayev reveals the world No. 5 is anticipated to work with Lovro Zovko within the upcoming interval.
Since shockingly parting methods together with her long-time Croatian coach Vukov simply three days earlier than the US Open, the 2022 Wimbledon champion has appeared in only one match and has picked up three consecutive match withdrawals. Whereas the 25-year-old could also be out of motion, she has nonetheless been within the headlines very a lot currently as there have been numerous speculations and a few gorgeous claims concerning her latest cut up with the coach who labored together with her for 5 years.
Nevertheless, the most recent report signifies that we have not seen the final of Rybakina in 2024. And a bit curiously, she is going to work with one other Croatian, Zovko. Throughout his profession, the 43-year-old – who at present has a job inside the Kazakh Tennis Federation – did not get pleasure from a lot success as primarily performed on the Challenger and ITF ranges and by no means broke into the top-150. In doubles, Zovko had extra success as he misplaced 5 doubles finals and was additionally ranked as excessive as No. 45 on this planet.
“The whole lot is in progress now. The search is underway. More than likely, the second coach Lovro Zovko will quickly substitute him. He’s a precedence alternative for Elena Rybakina’s group. We’re speaking to her now. Different coaches are additionally being thought-about. As we all know, there was a long-term cooperation with Stefano Vukov, greater than 5 years. Stefano Vukov introduced her from two hundredth place to the TOP-5. Due to this fact, it’s a troublesome query. The method is underway. More than likely, Lovre Zorko will keep till the tip of the yr. As a result of Elena is aware of him. The captain of the nationwide group, Yuri Shchukin, additionally helps him,” Doskarayev stated on the air of the 24 KZ TV channel.
Some nasty particulars from the Rybakina-Vukov collaboration have surfaced
For years, the 37-year-old Croatian’s persona and angle towards the Kazakh tennis star have been questioned. However on a number of events, the two-time Grand Slam finalist herself would defend her coach from such accusations.
Nevertheless, after they got here collectively to the US Open and Rybakina determined to finish their partnership – performed only one match earlier than abruptly pulling out of the match – after which rumors got here out that Vukov was faraway from the official WTA coaches record, a number of crimson flags have been immediately raised.
And only recently, Russian tennis journalist Sofya Tartakova claimed that these near the Kazakh revealed to her that the 25-year-old’s fixed well being points have been partly brought on by the large stress of working with the Croatian.
“She is now beneath numerous stress and it’s all psychosomatic. She is now in a totally disorganized state, she can’t play,” Tartakova stated throughout a dialog for YouTube channel Tennis Bolshei.
The tennis insider additionally dropped an absolute bombshell by saying that Rybakina handled fixed “strain, insults, and dangerous phrases.”
“Elena Rybakina’s dad and mom stood up for her, as a result of she couldn’t break this vicious circle. On the one hand, that is the coach who labored together with her since she was 17, and she or he herself, collectively together with her household, selected him. Then again, it’s clear that they have been very shut, she received the primary achievements of her profession due to their joint work, and her dad and mom insisted that Lena change one thing in her tennis life, as a result of there was strain, and insults, and dangerous phrases stated to her. They have been always from Vukov’s lips,” Tartakova defined.
Rennae Stubbs: Individuals noticed Vukov wasn’t treating Rybakina correctly
Stubbs, a former five-time Grand Slam champion in doubles, made some feedback that counsel that there’s completely at the least some true in Tartakova’s claims. On her podcast, the Australian former doubles world No. 1 stated that she personally noticed the Croatian not treating the Kazakh the way in which he ought to have and in addition claimed that some professional gamers witnessed the identical.
“Now, off the courtroom, in a approach he is perhaps the best man on this planet to her, I don’t know. However relating to being her coach, I noticed approach too many issues of him yelling at her within the fitness center, different gamers have stated stuff to me. When she would win matches, he was giving her s—. That is what different folks noticed. There’s 25 different folks that would see the identical factor I used to be seeing,” she stated on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.
It stays to be seen when Rybakina will precisely return to motion and the way her collaboration with Zovko will go.