Patrick Mouratoglou Defends Rybakina’s Right to Choose Her Banned Coach
So here’s the thing that’s stirred up the tennis world lately — and honestly, it’s hard to ignore. Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion and one of the sport's brightest stars, is right in the middle of a huge coaching controversy. Her long-time coach, Stefano Vukov, was officially banned by the WTA for a year following allegations of mental abuse. Yet, the plot thickens: despite the ban, Rybakina still works with him outside of official tournaments. And now, Patrick Mouratoglou — yes, Naomi Osaka’s coach and one of the most prominent figures in tennis — has come out swinging with a strong defense of her decision to keep Vukov in her corner.
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Mouratoglou made it very clear in a recent interview with The Times that he believes Rybakina should be treated like the adult she is. “There is a justice system that decides what’s right and wrong,” he said. “No other entity should be entitled to judge people.” That’s a bold take, especially considering the WTA's internal investigation found that Vukov’s behavior amounted to mental abuse and that the environment was described as “toxic.” Still, Mouratoglou insists it’s not anyone else’s place to interfere with how a professional like Rybakina manages her career.
He also brought up a critical point: tennis careers are short. If Rybakina believes that Vukov is the key to her success — and she certainly had a lot of it under his guidance — then shouldn’t she be allowed to make that call? Mouratoglou argued that her recent performance has suffered, and much of that could be due to Vukov’s absence during tournaments. “She doesn’t have the same results by far,” he noted. And it’s true — while she remains a top contender and is seeded 11th at Wimbledon this year, she hasn’t quite found the same dominant form lately.
Now, of course, Vukov is officially banned from participating in any tournament or even stepping foot on-site during events. So Davide Sanguinetti, a former ATP pro, has stepped in as her official coach for Wimbledon 2025. But outside of the bright lights and packed stands, Vukov and Rybakina continue to train together. She’s made it clear that she’s never felt mistreated by him and wants to continue working with someone who, in her eyes, helped take her to the top.
This is one of those situations that really blurs the lines. On one side, we have a professional organization enforcing what it believes are the right standards. On the other, we have a player who says she knows her own boundaries, trusts her coach, and wants to pursue her goals her way. Mouratoglou isn’t necessarily saying the WTA is wrong — he’s saying Rybakina should have the right to choose what’s best for her. And in a sport where confidence and chemistry with your coach can mean everything, that’s not a small detail.
So as Wimbledon 2025 unfolds and Rybakina gears up for another deep run, this conversation isn’t going away. Whether you agree with Mouratoglou or side with the WTA, one thing’s for sure: Elena Rybakina is doing things her way — and she's not backing down.
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