"Where there's smoke, there's fire": CoCo Vandeweghe backs WTA investigation of Elena Rybakina ex-coach Stefano Vukov

Tennis Channel analyst and former WTA world No. 9 CoCo Vandeweghe defended the Hologic WTA tour’s decision to investigate coach Stefano Vukov for a potential Code of Conduct breach, a decision that carries a provisional suspension and precludes Elena Rybakina from re-hiring her longtime coach in time for the 2025 Australian Open.

“I’m sorry, but where there’s smoke, there’s probably fire,” Vandeweghe said on Tennis Channel Live. “Sometimes, other people need to protect you if you can’t protect yourself, and that’s what the tours are trying to do from what they have seen and learned about Vukov.

“As much as I want to trust Elena Rybakina’s opinion and choices, I’ve seen some other images and I think we all have in matches that Vukov is not the kindest to her.”

Rybakina, who abruptly ended a four-year coaching partnership—one that appeared at times contentious and drew criticism from former players—with Vukov during the 2024 US Open, had begun the new season with new coach Goran Ivanisevic, but an explosive report from *The Athletic* confirmed that not only is Vukov currently serving a provisional suspension but Rybakina has made repeated efforts to have that suspension overturned in the hopes of restoring Vukov to her team.

As much as I want to trust Elena Rybakina’s opinion and choices, I’ve seen some other images and I think we all have in matches that Vukov is not the kindest to her. CoCo Vandeweghe

“I’d be surprised if we see Goran at AO,” continued Vandeweghe, speaking to The Athletic’s reporting that Ivanisevic was “blindsided” by the news that Rybakina planned to re-hire Vukov. “I think this kind of movement going on the coaching carousel that is Elena Rybakina’s team, I wouldn’t want to be the new coach that’s supposed to be the new coach for Elena Rybakina and bringing in an old voice again. That means you don’t trust me enough to make you better, put you in that next step forward, which is what Elena Rybakina was looking for.”

A former Wimbledon champion, Rybakina has enjoyed an unbeaten start to the year at United Cup, leading Kazakhstan into the semifinals, but is playing her first match since the news broke on Saturday against rival and former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.

“It’s never easy, especially when you’ve had a long relationship with someone, to be able to draw boundaries if those boundaries need to be drawn,” echoed fellow Tennis Channel Live analyst Prakash Amritraj. “Rybakina has this beautiful light about her; we don’t want to see her down, we don’t want to see her dim. Hopefully, she can make the healthiest decision for herself, but there’s certainly miscommunication and contradiction in what seems to be going on.”

Rybakina is yet to comment on the matter since announcing that Vukov would be in Melbourne to “support” her during the Australian Open next week.