Andy Roddick gives verdict on Elena Rybakina’s controversial coach after Australian Open win
Former world No 1 Andy Roddick has assessed that there has been “growth” in the relationship between Elena Rybakina and her coach Stefano Vukov after the Kazakh’s 2026 Australian Open triumph.
Rybakina defeated world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the Australian Open championship match to secure her second Grand Slam title.
The coaches of players who win the women’s and men’s singles events at the Australian Open now receive a trophy, and Vukov was presented with his award after Rybakina’s victory.
Vukov also coached Rybakina to her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2022, but his presence in the world No 3’s team is controversial given he was suspended for six months last year.
Rybakina started working with Vukov in 2019 and parted ways with the Croatian in August 2024 before the pair reunited at the start of 2025.
In February 2025, the WTA Tour Vukov banned Vukov from coaching Rybakina for one year following the conclusion of its investigation into a breach of their code of conduct. The Athletic reported the details of Vukov’s behaviour that led to his suspension.
Vukov was cleared to return to Rybakina’s team in August 2025 after successfully appealing his ban.
Tennis News
Andy Roddick makes bold prediction about how many Grand Slams Elena Rybakina will win
Elena Rybakina schedule: Where will Australian Open champion play across 2026?
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.
During the trophy ceremony in Melbourne, Rybakina appeared to allude to the controversy surrounding Vukov.
“I would like to say thank you to my team,” the 26-year-old said. “Without you, it wouldn’t be possible, really. We had a lot of things going on, and I’m really glad we achieved this result.”
Speaking on his Served podcast, Roddick commented on Rybakina and Vukov’s partnership after her Australian Open triumph.
“I guess my point was, the conversation [around Rybakina], and rightfully so based on the last three years, since maybe Rybakina won Wimbledon in 2022 and there’s been a lot of off-court stuff,” said the 2003 US Open champion.
“And by the way, I think it needs saying and we’ll get back to this point, but like old coach comes back in after being kind of jettisoned, comes back in and she wins again.
“Now, I don’t know the dynamics of the interpersonal relationship. What I do know is that her best tennis has been played when Vukov is present.
“It seems like there has been a change in conversation and the stylings of those conversations.
“So, I’m happy for growth in a relationship and I hope that’s settled and okay. Certainly, you can’t argue with the results that they’ve had together. I mean, she is just playing better when he’s around.
“And you can have opinions about a million other things, and I’m sure you will. I’m not saying everything is perfect, I’m saying that the results are there when he is around as her coach. Many layers of which we’re not going to get to in a recap episode.”
