“Make it a safe…,” Iga Swiatek breaks silence on WTA’s one-year ban verdict on Elena Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov
Iga Swiatek revealed what she thinks about the entire Stefano Vukov-Elena Rybakina controversy ahead of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
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Iga Swiatek, Stefano Vukov, Elena Rybakina (Images via X/Daily Express)
Iga Swiatek disclosed what she thinks about WTA’s verdict on Elena Rybakina‘s coach Stefano Vukov. Swiatek is in Dubai for the season’s second WTA 1000 event and ahead of the tournament, she said every team member should follow the Code of Conduct.
The WTA handed Vukov a one-year ban as he subjected Rybakina to abuse. According to The Athletic, Rybakina’s health deteriorated because of Vukov, who also harassed the Kazakh ace after she parted ways with him last year. Rybakina, however, consistently backed him and was disappointed with his ban.
World No. 3 Coco Gauff, when asked about the situation, said she feels that the WTA has the right to step in to protect their players. Swiatek too is of the same opinion and backed WTA’s decision.
I guess everybody needs to respect the decision because we need to trust that the whole process was made with right rules. Every personal trainer, every coach, they needs to kind of accept the code of conduct when they want to be on WTA. So for sure, I hope the WTA is doing everything to make it a safe environment.
Iga Swiatek said at the press conference
Rybakina, who became World No.3 and lifted the 2022 Wimbledon under Vukov, is currently coached by Davide Sanguinetti after Goran Ivanisevic left her team. Ivanisevic became the coach of a WTA player for the first time after ending his collaboration with Novak Djokovic but quit Rybakina’s team because of the controversy right after her Australian Open exit.
Iga Swiatek denied chance to win four back-to-back Qatar Open titles
Iga Swiatek will be bidding to win her first title of the season at the Dubai Tennis Championships, following her defeat in the semifinals at both the Australian Open and the Qatar Open. Eventual champion Madison Keys secured a hard-fought win over the Pole at Melbourne Park, while Jelena Ostapenko improved her head-to-head record to 5-0 over her in Doha.
Ostapenko, before her straight-set defeat to Amanda Anisimova in the final, denied the five-time Grand Slam champion a chance to complete a four-peat at the Qatar Open. Swiatek, en route to her 6-3, 6-1 defeat, also threw her racket in frustration during the second set.
I was pretty confident that I obviously would beat her because we’ve played a lot of matches and I know how to play against her. I was more focusing on myself and what I had to do. I’m happy with the way I’m handling my emotions this week.
Jelena Ostapenko said during the on-court interview
It was Swiatek’s first defeat in 16 matches in the tournament. The match, which lasted for 70 minutes, was also Swiatek’s quickest since her 69-minute defeat to Garbine Muguruza in the 2021 Dubai Tennis Championships.
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Gouri Das
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