World quantity seven Elena Rybakina mentioned she is “upset” on the WTA’s choice to uphold the ban towards her former coach Stefano Vukov following an unbiased investigation into his behaviour in the direction of the participant.
It was introduced in January that the Croat had been provisionally suspended after allegedly breaching the WTA’s Code of Conduct.
On Tuesday, the WTA – the governing physique of girls’s tennis – confirmed Vukov’s ban had been upheld.
“I am simply upset with the state of affairs, and the way the method went. I am not going to remark way more,” the 25-year-old mentioned after her win over Rebecca Sramkova on the Qatar Open on Wednesday.
“I am specializing in my matches, and after I go on the court docket I am considering solely about the way in which I have to play.
“It is not the very best time, however I wish to carry out as finest as I can.”
The WTA has not specified how lengthy Vukov can be banned for and it isn’t recognized which a part of the code he has damaged.
However the method wherein he spoke to her – on and off court docket at tournaments – has come beneath scrutiny.
The 37-year-old helped Rybakina to win Wimbledon in 2022 however their five-year partnership ended days earlier than the 2024 US Open in August.
The WTA’s choice means Rybakina won’t be able to carry Vukov again on to her crew – one thing she hoped to do initially of the 12 months.
Vukov denies any wrongdoing and instructed The Athletic final month that he had “by no means abused anybody”, whereas Rybakina additionally mentioned at this 12 months’s Australian Open she has by no means made “any complaints” about Vukov.
The WTA didn’t present particulars on the size of the suspension however Vukov can enchantment towards the choice.
Rybakina labored briefly with Novak Djokovic’s former coach Goran Ivanisevic on a trial foundation, however he left her crew after a fourth-round exit on the Australian Open.