Stefano Vukov
{{Short description|Croatian tennis coach (born 1987)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox tennis biography
| name = Stefano Vukov
| image = Stefano Vukov (Roland Garros 2023) 09 (cropped).jpg
| image_size = 175px
| alt =
| caption = Vukov at the 2023 French Open
| fullname =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| country_represented = {{Flagu|Croatia}}
| residence =
| sportswear_(racquet) =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|03|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Rijeka, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
| height =
| college =
| turnedpro = 2003
| retired = 2009
| plays = Right-handed
| highestsinglesranking = No. 1122 (2 April 2007){{cite web|url=https://www.atptour.com/en/players/stefano-vukov/v462/overview|title=Stefano Vukov|publisher=Association of Tennis Professionals|access-date=16 March 2023}}
| highestdoublesranking = No. 621 (5 February 2007)
| CoachYears =
| CoachPlayers = Elena Rybakina (2019–2024)
| CoachSinglesTitles = 8
| CoachDoublesTitles =
| CoachTournamentRecord = 2022 Wimbledon (Rybakina)
| CoachingAwards =
| CoachingRecords =
| website =
}}
Stefano Vukov (born 27 March 1987) is a Croatian tennis coach. He coached Women's Tennis Association (WTA) player Elena Rybakina from 2019 to 2024.
Early life and playing career
Vukov was born in Rijeka, Croatia. His mother is a dentist and his father is a software engineer.{{cite news|url=https://www.wtatennis.com/news/1654636/coaching-dossier-stefano-vukov-it-s-a-24-hour-job-|title=Coaching Dossier: Stefano Vukov - 'It's a 24-hour job'|last=Nguyen|first=Courtney|date=9 April 2020|work=wtatennis.com|publisher=Women's Tennis Association|access-date=16 March 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.tennismajors.com/wimbledon-news/interview-stefano-vukow-wimbledon-elena-rybakina-victory-611872.html|title=Stefano Vukov, Rybakina's coach: 'She belongs here'|last=Ozmo|first=Sasa|date=9 July 2022|work=tennismajors.com|access-date=16 March 2023}} He started playing tennis at age 12 and went to attend college while aspiring to play professional tennis.{{cite web|url=https://www.itftennis.com/en/players/stefano-vukov/800236143/cro/mt/s/|title=Stefano Vukov Tennis Player Profile|work=itftennis.com|publisher=International Tennis Federation|access-date=16 March 2023}} Vukov played mostly on the ITF Futures Circuit, reaching a career-high Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) ranking of No. 1122 in 2007, and retired in 2009. A couple years later, he began to coach professionally at a tennis facility in Florida, working with future WTA Tour players including Sachia Vickery, Renata Zarazúa, and Anhelina Kalinina.
Coaching career
File:Elena Rybakina & Yaroslava Shvedova (52205386227) (cropped).jpg, Elena Rybakina, and Vukov at Wimbledon 2022]]
In February 2019, Elena Rybakina, then ranked just within the WTA's top 200, hired Vukov to replace Moscow-based Andrei Chesnokov as her first traveling coach.{{cite news|url=https://gulfnews.com/sport/uae-sport/tennis-elena-rybakina-tipped-to-become-future-world-no-1-1.71412984|title=Tennis: Elena Rybakina tipped to become future world No. 1|last=Gomes|first=Alaric|date=9 May 2020|work=Gulf News|access-date=16 March 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://ausopen.com/articles/features/elena-rybakina-getting-know-anonymous-yet-form-no29-seed|title=Elena Rybakina: Getting to know the 'anonymous' yet in-form No.29 seed|last=Cox|first=David|date=22 January 2020|publisher=Australian Open|work=ausopen.com|access-date=16 March 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.wtatennis.com/news/1584000/getting-to-know-elena-rybakina-s-rocket-rise|title=Getting to Know: Elena Rybakina's rocket rise|last=Nguyen|first=Courtney|date=22 January 2020|work=wtatennis.com|publisher=Women's Tennis Association|access-date=16 March 2023}} Rybakina credited Vukov, known for his analytic expertise, with helping to improve her game; she rose quickly through the rankings, entering the top 30 and winning her first two WTA Tour titles by early the next year.{{cite news|url=https://www.wtatennis.com/news/1584000/getting-to-know-elena-rybakina-s-rocket-rise|title=Getting to Know: Elena Rybakina's rocket rise|last=Nguyen|first=Courtney|date=22 January 2020|work=wtatennis.com|publisher=Women's Tennis Association|access-date=16 March 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2167061/how-analytics-helped-rybakina-neutralize-serena-at-the-french-open|title=How analytics helped Rybakina neutralize Serena at the French Open|last=Nguyen|first=Courtney|date=7 June 2021|work=wtatennis.com|publisher=Women's Tennis Association|access-date=16 March 2023}} After Rybakina won her first major title at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, Vukov followed through on a two-year-old bet to get a tattoo of Rybakina's name if she ever won Wimbledon.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/rybakinas-coach-gets-tattoo-honour-her-wimbledon-win-2022-08-25/|title=Rybakina's coach gets tattoo to honour her Wimbledon win|date=25 August 2022|publisher=Reuters|access-date=16 March 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/aug/24/elena-rybakina-my-coach-got-a-tattoo-of-my-name-its-crazy-bet-wimbledon-us-open|title=Elena Rybakina: 'My coach got a tattoo of my name. It's crazy but we had a bet'|last=Carayol|first=Tumaini|date=24 August 2022|work=The Guardian|access-date=16 March 2023}}
Vukov's "frantic and intense" style of on-court coaching of the typically stoical Rybakina has drawn attention. Vukov has said he "know[s] very well how to get Elena angry" to energize her and how to help her tactically focus, with a mutual understanding "to push her even when she does not want to be pushed", but recognizes that to outsiders it can seem like "too much".{{cite news|url=https://www.tennismajors.com/open-australie-actualite/exclusive-rybakinas-coach-stefano-vukov-elena-didnt-get-all-the-things-you-usually-get-from-winning-a-grand-slam-title-657167.html|title=Exclusive – Rybakina's coach, Stefano Vukov: 'Elena didn't get all the things you usually get from winning a Grand Slam title'|last=Ozmo|first=Sasa|date=24 January 2023|work=tennismajors.com|access-date=16 March 2023}} During Rybakina's run to the final of the 2023 Australian Open, where she eventually lost to Aryna Sabalenka, Vukov attracted public criticism for his seemingly harsh midmatch comments from the player's box. In a social media post, Rybakina defended Vukov, saying that their relationship remains positive.{{cite news|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/australian-open-2023-elena-rybakina-coach-stefano-vukov-semifinal-box-victoria-azarenka-what-did-he-say-are-you-allowed-to-coach-during-tennis-matches/news-story/6cfb78fb3871040e8ba2c2bcaf7b6d9a|title='She stopped playing': Coach fires back at accusations he used new rules to berate Aus Open finalist|last=Tiernan|first=Eamonn|date=27 January 2023|publisher=Fox Sports (Australia)|access-date=16 March 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2023/01/29/elena-rybakina-stop-criticising-coach-shouting/|title=Elena Rybakina: Stop criticising my coach for shouting at me|last=McElwee|first=Molly|date=29 January 2023|work=The Telegraph|access-date=16 March 2023}}
Rybakina played well throughout 2024, winning three titles, but also missed multiple big events due to illness. She announced that she and Vukov had split ahead of the US Open.{{cite news|url=https://www.tennisnow.com/News/2024/August/Rybakina-Parts-Ways-with-Longtime-Coach-Stefano-Vu.aspx|title=Rybakina Parts Ways with Longtime Coach Stefano Vukov|date=2024-08-22|website=TennisNow.com|access-date=2024-08-22|last=Oddo|first=Chris}}
In January 2025, Vukov rejoined Rybakina’s team, but was subsequently suspended by the WTA under a code of conduct investigation.{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6034236/2025/01/02/rybakina-vukov-coach-suspended-wta-investigation/ | title=Elena Rybakina's former coach Stefano Vukov suspended by WTA under code of conduct investigation | work=The New York Times | last1=Futterman | first1=Matthew | last2=Eccleshare | first2=Charlie }}
=Coaching ban=
In February 2025, following the conclusion of the code of conduct investigation, it was announced the WTA had banned Vukov for 12 months.{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6035283/2025/02/11/stefano-vukov-wta-ban-report-elena-rybakina-coach/ | title=WTA bans Stefano Vukov, Elena Rybakina's former coach, for one year after code of conduct investigation | work=The New York Times | last1=Eccleshare | first1=Charlie | last2=Futterman | first2=Matthew }}
References
{{reflist}}