Elena Rybakina’s latest victory in Melbourne has pushed her back into the center of the women’s tennis conversation. The Kazakh star’s win over World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the 2026 Australian Open final was not just a second Grand Slam title; it also sparked debate around the team and methods behind her rise.
As the dust settles on her impressive fortnight at Melbourne Park, tennis insiders are pointing towards a new picture of Rybakina’s current state, both on and off the court.
Tennis Reporter Blair Henley Points Out the Recent Changes in Elena Rybakina
In the 2026 Australian Open final, Rybakina defeated world No. 1 Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, rallying from 0–3 down in the deciding set to claim her maiden title at Melbourne Park. The win avenged her 2023 final loss to the Belarusian, adding a second major singles trophy of her career following the 2022 Wimbledon.
It also confirmed her status as one of the most dangerous hard‑court players on tour, after she closed 2025 by lifting the WTA Finals trophy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Tennis reporter Blair Henley, who has interviewed Rybakina for years, recently drew attention to how different the 26‑year‑old now appears in public. “I have to tell you, it was far and away the most relaxed I have ever seen her. She seemed to be much more comfortable in an interview setting, and that has not always been the case,” Henley said, recalling their latest interaction.
“I was able to sort of have fun with her. There is something to be said for the fact that she currently has the team that she wants in place.We can’t ignore the fact that her coach, Stefano Vukov, was banned by the WTA for breaching their code of conduct for a large part of 2025,” she noted.
Henley highlighted how much that matters when assessing Rybakina’s current state. Looking back at 2025, she pointed out that the Kazakh “had health issues as well. She was still working through those at the WTA Finals, even though she was able to get through that and win. But she looked happy, healthy.”
She also underlined how involved Vukov is again, adding, “Vukov doesn’t really stop talking… He was actually giving her technical advice during that time period… But making slight technical adjustments two hours before you go on court for one of the biggest matches of your life, it just, I guess, every player is different, right?”
The WTA provisionally suspended Vukov in early 2025 after an investigation into his behaviour, later confirming a one‑year ban that kept him off official tournament sites before an appeal led to the suspension being lifted in August.
During that period, he was unable to receive credentials, even though he could still work with Rybakina away from WTA venues.
Rybakina publicly defended him on several occasions, insisting that she would not tolerate a coach who did not respect her and denying that he had ever mistreated her. Despite that, she announced a split from Vukov just before the 2024 US Open, amid a season marked by health issues.
The Drastic Improvement in Results by Rybakina Since Vukov’s Return
Once Vukov’s suspension was lifted in August 2025, Rybakina finished the season with two titles: the WTA 500 Ningbo Open on hard courts and the prestigious WTA Finals in Riyadh. She added the Ningbo trophy with a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 comeback win over Ekaterina Alexandrova in the final.
Her strongest statement came at the WTA Finals. Arriving as the last woman to qualify, Rybakina went unbeaten through the week and upset Sabalenka 6–3, 7–6(0) in the championship match. What followed in Australia has reinforced that rise.
After arriving in Melbourne as the reigning WTA Finals champion, Rybakina dropped only one set en route to the 2026 Australian Open title. Her path included wins over top‑10 players such as Iga Świątek and Jessica Pegula before she once again faced Sabalenka in the final.
The Kazakh’s serve has become a weapon as she landed tour-leading 516 aces in 2025, her ranking has climbed back to a career‑high No. 3, and she has turned a season marred by health problems into a stable one.
