Former American tennis player and pundit Andy Roddick recently weighed in on the return of Stefano Vukov to Elena Rybakina’s camp and how it helped her regain her form. He made the remarks in the wake of the Kazakh’s second Grand Slam triumph at the 2026 Australian Open.
Rybakina’s calm, composed presence on court has underpinned her recent success, and Vukov’s return has only strengthened that foundation. Last year, the Croatian coach was handed a one-year ban from coaching duties after the WTA found evidence of verbal abuse.
Andy Roddick Gets Honest on Elena Rybakina’s Relationship With Previously Banned Coach Stefano Vukov After Her Australian Open Triumph
Vukov was provisionally suspended during the investigation, preventing him from attending WTA events or communicating with Rybakina. The Kazakh consistently denied the allegations and publicly supported her then-former coach throughout the process.
However, Vukov’s fortunes changed when a successful appeal enabled his return to the Tour ahead of the 2025 US Open in August, after which Rybakina reinstated him as head coach.
The World No. 3 endured a difficult start to last season but gradually regained momentum following Vukov’s return to her camp. She captured the Ningbo Open before closing the year in emphatic fashion by lifting the WTA Finals trophy in Riyadh. That surge carried into 2026, as she reached the quarterfinals in Brisbane and then capped a standout Australian Open campaign with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Rybakina’s recent surge under Vukov’s guidance was discussed by former US Open champion Roddick on his YouTube Channel. The 43-year-old said the conversation around Rybakina had shifted in recent years, marked by off-court scrutiny. While he didn’t claim to know the personal dynamics, he noted that her best tennis has consistently coincided with Vukov’s presence in her camp.
“I guess my point was the conversation and rightfully so based on the last three years, you know, since maybe Rybakina won Wimbledon in 2022 and there’s been a lot of off court stuff 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,” he said.
“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,” he added.
Roddick said he hopes any issues in the relationship have been resolved, stressing that the results are undeniable. While not claiming everything is perfect, he noted that Rybakina consistently plays better with Vukov as her coach.
“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,” he added.
Rybakina also became only the second player in the past decade, after Caroline Wozniacki, to follow a WTA Finals triumph by winning the women’s singles title in Melbourne the following year. In addition to the title, Rybakina earned $2.75 million in prize money, the highest winner’s cheque in the tournament’s history, and $600,000 more than in 2025.
