World quantity six Elena Rybakina says her former coach Stefano Vukov “by no means mistreated me” after he was provisionally suspended by the WTA whereas an investigation into his behaviour in direction of the participant continues.
Earlier this week, the 25-year-old 2022 Wimbledon champion from Kazakhstan stated Vukov, who was a part of her group when she gained the title, was re-joining her group.
However the WTA has advised BBC Sport the 37-year-old Croat is at present banned after allegedly breaching the WTA’s Code of Conduct.
Vukov, who started teaching Rybakina when she was a youngster, denies any wrongdoing.
“I can solely say, and I stated it already earlier than, that he by no means mistreated me, it was by no means something like that,” stated Rybakina after Kazakhstan’s defeat by Poland within the semi-finals of the United Cup in Sydney on Saturday.
“Stefano is re-joining the group as a result of I do know the individual for six years and there is a whole lot of issues we are able to do outdoors of the court docket too.”
She added: “After all I am not likely pleased with the state of affairs. I am not pleased with the feedback which I see, particularly from the people who find themselves on the tour. It is lively coaches, commentators. I do not suppose that it is truthful.”
It isn’t clear whether or not Rybakina herself, or another person, raised the grievance towards Vukov which started the present investigation.
The provisional suspension means Vukov won’t obtain accreditation for WTA occasions, stopping him from going into player-only areas which embody the follow courts, different coaching amenities and eating places.
Considerations have frequently been raised over the previous few seasons about Vukov’s behaviour in direction of Rybakina.
The way by which he talks to her – on and off court docket at tournaments – has come underneath scrutiny, though it’s not identified precisely which a part of the WTA’s Code of Conduct he’s alleged to have damaged.
On Thursday, he advised The Athletic – which first reported the story about his provisional ban – that he “by no means abused anybody”.
The partnership ended earlier than final 12 months’s US Open and he or she appointed Goran Ivanisevic as her new coach.