Why did Elena Rybakina bring back the coach who previously "treated her harshly"?

The world’s sixth-ranked player, Elena Rybakina, has announced that she is once again working with Croatian coach Stefano Vukov, as reported by "Championship".

“Hello everyone, I am happy to share that Stefano will join the team for the 2025 season. Thank you all for your support. May your 2025 be fantastic,” the Kazakh tennis player wrote on social media.

Rybakina's decision appears quite unexpected and shocking. Vukov coached Elena from February 2019 to August 2024 and is well acquainted with her, but their split was controversial. The tennis player dismissed the Croatian specialist before the US Open without providing reasons, and during the tournament, she withdrew before her second-round match. Officially, Rybakina could not take to the court due to a back injury, but there was considerable media speculation about the negative impact Vukov had on her psychological state.

The tennis community predominantly supported Rybakina, labeling the Croatian coach as overly harsh. This was sometimes evident on the court, where Vukov would harshly insult his protégé. American commentator Craig Shapiro reported that Vukov has been suspended from working in the WTA tour, hinted at by the removal of his profile from the organization's official website.

Rybakina did not compete for two months following her withdrawal from the US Open. She missed the entire Asian tournament series and only participated in the WTA Finals in Riyadh at the beginning of November, where she failed to advance from the group stage.

Russian journalist Sofia Tartakova reported during Rybakina's career break that Vukov had treated the tennis player inappropriately and was psychologically affecting her negatively.

“Her parents have already intervened because she couldn’t break this vicious cycle. On one hand, this is a coach who has been with her since she was 17, and she chose him along with her family. On the other hand, it’s clear they were very close; her major career achievements came from their collaboration, and her parents insisted that Lena change something in her tennis life because there was pressure, insults, and bad words directed at her. They were constantly coming from Vukov,” Tartakova explained during a broadcast on the "Bol'she!" channel in September.

In November, Rybakina announced that starting in the 2025 season, her coach would be Goran Ivanisevic, who previously won nine Grand Slam titles with Novak Djokovic. However, Rybakina maintained her connection with Vukov.

“Stefano and Lena ended their collaboration before the US Open - 2024. On December 30, I met with Vukov, and we discussed his work with Lena and the information regarding his ban from the WTA. According to Stefano, he and Rybakina have remained on good terms, continue to communicate, and there was no suspension for him. Vukov will fly to Melbourne on January 4 before the start of the Australian Open. The main goal is to help Lena and provide her support. But Goran Ivanisevic remains Rybakina’s head coach,” Sofia Tartakova recently wrote in her Telegram channel "Bol'she!".

Clearly, Rybakina has seemingly moved past her disagreements with Vukov, and the Croatian currently does not face a ban from the WTA. During her performance at the United Cup, Elena announced that Stefano is once again part of her team, albeit not in the same capacity as before. Ivanisevic will clearly be the primary coach for the tennis player.

Vukov's return is a controversial decision by Rybakina, one that not everyone will understand. One of the first to react negatively was former world No. 3 in singles and 22-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and mixed, Pam Shriver.

“It’s time for our sport to finally stand against the abuses and manipulations that players become victims of. This is a very sad situation, and I pray for Elena Rybakina,” Shriver wrote on social media.

Regardless, Rybakina has the right to do what she believes is best for herself. Vukov worked with her for a long time and brought her to the top level; under his guidance, she won all major titles, including her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon 2022. Elena believes that Stefano will be a good addition to Ivanisevic in her team.

Only time will tell if Rybakina's hopes are justified. The main concern is that another scandal involving Vukov does not arise, forcing the tennis player to miss tournaments.