Rybakina 'focused' on Australian Open after coach controversy

Melbourne: Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina said Saturday she would put the controversy surrounding her former coach Stefano Vukov to one side...

Melbourne: Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina said Saturday she would put the controversy surrounding her former coach Stefano Vukov to one side to focus on winning the Australian Open.

The sixth-seeded Kazakh had wanted to bring Vukov back into her coaching team for the first Grand Slam of the year.

But the Croat is currently under a provisional suspension "pending an independent investigation into a potential breach of the WTA code of conduct," said the women's tennis governing body.

Vukov, who helped Rybakina win Wimbledon in 2022, was reported to have used harsh and abusive behaviour towards players. He denies any wrongdoing.

Rybakina defended him when questioned by reporters on the eve of the first Grand Slam of the year.