Elena Rybakina refuses to blame Stefano Vukov’s absence from the Australian Open as the reason behind her exit

Elena Rybakina admitted she wasn't feeling fine going into ther Australian Open fourth round clash against Madison Keys.

Elena Rybakina refuses to blame Stefano Vukov’s absence from the Australian Open as the reason behind her exit

Elena Rybakina (Image via X)

Elena Rybakina addressed the impact of her coach Stefano Vukov’s absence after being knocked out of the Australian Open in the fourth round. Vukov was sidelined due to a provisional suspension by the WTA over code of conduct violations, which kept him from being at Melbourne Park.

Despite the circumstances, Rybakina denied that Vukov’s absence affected her performance. She acknowledged the coaching change but emphasized that it wasn’t an excuse for her loss to Madison Keys, which ended in a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 defeat.

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It didn’t affect the way I played today or any of the results… We will definitely talk how the next schedule is going to look like.

Elena Rybakina in her post-match press conference

The 6th seed also admitted that the situation with her coach had been difficult, especially during a challenging month leading up to the tournament. However, she made it clear that the changes in her corner did not directly cause her up-and-down play in Melbourne.

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Vukov’s suspension is still under investigation, and it’s unclear how long he will be absent from Rybakina’s team. For now, the focus remains on her recovery and preparing for future tournaments.

Madison Keys beats Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open

Madison Keys, seeded No. 19, continued her strong start to the season with a win over No. 6 seed Elena Rybakina. The American triumphed 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in 1 hour and 49 minutes, advancing to the Australian Open quarterfinals for the fourth time in her career.

Elena Rybakina (2)
Elena Rybakina (Image via X)

Keys faced a tough challenge after losing the second set, but she recovered to defeat Rybakina. With the victory, Keys now leads their head-to-head 3-2 and is one win away from reaching her third Australian Open semifinal.

In the next round, Keys will play No. 28 seed Elina Svitolina. The Ukranian advanced to the quarterfinals by beating Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 6-1 after coming back from a double-break down in the first set.

Keys has a narrow 3-2 advantage over Svitolina in their head-to-head record. Their most recent match took place in Adelaide in 2022, where the American won in the first round. She went on to win the title that week and also claimed the WTA 500 title in Adelaide this year. Keys is currently on a nine-match winning streak and leads the WTA with a 10-1 record in 2025.