Stefano Vukov is back in Elena Rybakina’s corner for her US Open run, adding another chapter to a coaching partnership that has helped shape one of the WTA’s biggest climbs of the past several years.
Rybakina, 27, began working with Vukov in February 2019, when she was still outside the WTA’s top 100. By the following year, she had cracked the top 20, and the partnership kept producing major results from there.
The biggest breakthrough came in 2022, when Rybakina beat Ons Jabeur in the Wimbledon final to win her first Grand Slam singles title. This year, she added another major by winning the Australian Open championship match against Aryna Sabalenka. By Monday, she was set to officially rise to world No. 1 when the WTA rankings updated.
A partnership built over seven years
Vukov has worked with Rybakina for most of the past seven years, making him a central figure in her rise from a little-known prospect to one of the sport’s elite players. That continuity matters, especially in a sport where coaching changes are common and major runs often depend on stability in a player’s box.
The relationship has also stood out because of how unusual it has been at times. Vukov had promised to get Rybakina’s name tattooed if she ever won Wimbledon, a detail that underscored just how long this partnership has been tied to her biggest milestones.
What it means for the US Open
Rybakina arrived at the final Saturday of the US Open with a chance to add another major trophy, and she was set to face Aryna Sabalenka again. With Vukov back nearby, the focus is not just on one tournament match, but on the larger picture: a player who has gone from outside the top 100 to Wimbledon champion and incoming world No. 1, with the same coach part of that entire climb.
For Rybakina, the immediate challenge is simple. Keep playing the way that has carried her this far. For Vukov, the return to her corner is another sign that the partnership remains a defining part of her career as she tries to add one more significant chapter at the US Open.
