Who is Elena Rybakina’s coach? Know all about Stefano Vukov

Elena Rybakina is the first Kazakhstani player to reach a Major final at Wimbledon.

Who is Elena Rybakina’s coach? Know all about Stefano Vukov

Elena Rybakina, Stefano Vukov

Elena Rybakina, the 24-year-old WTA star, became the first Kazakhstani player ever to win a Grand Slam title when she won the 2022 Wimbledon. She was also the first Kazakh in the top 15 to reach a major final.

Rybakina’s coach, Stefano Vukov, has been working with her since 2019. He is a former Croatian tennis player who played mainly in ITF events. Vukov won a total of 12 tournaments in his career. His career-high ranking in singles was 1122 as per the record books of the ATP Tour.

Vukov has taken Rybakina’s game to a completely different level. He has allowed her to tap into her potential and compete against the best players in the world, which led her to the finals of Wimbledon 2022. She was outside the Top 200 when coaching under Andrei Chesnokov, who didn’t travel with her. Vukov had no such condition and within a year, Rybakina climbed 170 places to break into the Top 30.

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What has been Stefano Vukov’s process with Elena Rybakina?


Stefano Vukov, originally from Croatia, honed his tennis skills in Italy before transitioning to coaching. He started with Anhelina Kalinina, introducing him to Elena Rybakina in 2019. Under Vukov’s guidance, Rybakina clinched the Wimbledon title. Vukov attributes their success to his energetic coaching style, complementing Rybakina’s calm demeanor.

Stefano Vukov during practice with Elena Rybakina at the 2020 J&T Banka Ostrava Open
Stefano Vukov during practice with Elena Rybakina at the 2020 J&T Banka Ostrava Open (Via Imago)
My energy against her calmness! Elena is a great girl. I was looking for a player who really wanted to listen and to improve. I found this in Elena, and she found in me a lot of information and a lot of energy. It is not that easy to click with a player, you need to understand her really well. Many things came together here, but with her style of game, I understood what she had to do from the first time I saw her.
Stefano Vukov said in his interview with Tennis Major in 2022

They focused on improving Rybakina’s serve, leading to her topping the WTA tour in aces. Vukov’s approach emphasizes understanding his players and maximizing their potential, paving the way for Rybakina’s rise to the top.

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