- Head coachStefano Vukov (Croatia)
- Joined in autumn 2025Stanislav Khmarskyi (Ukraine)
- FitnessAldo Chiari (Italy)
- PhysiotherapistStefan Duell
- PreviouslyGoran Ivanišević, Davide Sanguinetti
- BaseDubai, UAE
Stefano Vukov
A Croatian coach and former player, Vukov has worked with Rybakina since February 2019. With him she went from around No. 200 to world No. 1: Wimbledon 2022, the 2025 WTA Finals, and the Australian Open and US Open in 2026. His approach is built around her principal weapon - the serve and the attempt to finish points within the first few shots. His full biography is on a separate Stefano Vukov page.
The WTA ban and the return
In January 2025 the WTA provisionally suspended Vukov for a breach of its code of conduct, and in February the suspension stood after the investigation closed; the tour never disclosed what the breach was. Vukov denies wrongdoing, and Rybakina defended him publicly, stating that she had not filed a complaint against him. On 8 August 2025 the WTA confirmed he was again eligible for credentials, and he rejoined the team. The full sequence and both sides' positions are set out on Vukov's page.
Coaching timeline
- 2019Work with Stefano Vukov beginsRybakina is outside the top 150.
- 2022Wimbledon titleThe peak of their first spell together.
- Aug 2024Split with VukovRybakina ends the partnership days before the US Open.
- Nov 2024Goran Ivanišević arrivesNovak Djokovic's former coach takes over the team.
- Jan 2025Split with IvaniševićThe partnership ends after the Australian Open. Davide Sanguinetti works with the team on an interim basis.
- 2025Vukov returnsCoinciding with the best stretch of her career: the WTA Finals title, then the 2026 Australian Open.
- Late 2025Stanislav Khmarskyi joinsThe team expands ahead of the season that takes her to No. 1.
The Ivanišević episode
Hiring Ivanišević at the end of 2024 looked logical: a coach who had worked with a 24-time Grand Slam champion, and himself a Wimbledon winner, paired with a player whose main weapon is also the serve. The partnership lasted less than three months and ended immediately after the 2025 Australian Open. Neither side made the reasons public.
Vukov's return afterwards coincided with the most productive period of Rybakina's career, from the WTA Finals title to the world No. 1 ranking.
Stanislav Khmarskyi
The Ukrainian specialist joined in autumn 2025: he was first spotted in Rybakina's box at the Ningbo tournament in October, which she went on to win. Before that he had worked with Oleksandr Dolgopolov, Jelena Ostapenko and Marta Kostyuk - players of very different profiles.
Exactly what he does in the team is harder to say. Some outlets describe him as an assistant coach who handles tactical preparation and stands in for Vukov at individual tournaments; others as a fitness and conditioning specialist. Neither Rybakina nor her staff has explained the division of duties publicly, so we will not pick one version.
Who else is in the team
Fitness is handled by the Italian Aldo Chiari, who joined in 2025, and recovery and warm-ups by physiotherapist Stefan Duell, who travels with the team to every event. After the ankle injury in August 2026 their work became especially visible.
The team is based in Dubai, where Rybakina lives and does her pre-season training. No relatives are part of the working group: the family stays out of public view, as described on the family page.
How a top-ten player's team is built
A top-ten support group usually numbers between four and seven people: a head coach, an assistant or hitting partner, a fitness coach, a physiotherapist, sometimes a recovery specialist and a psychologist - plus an agent handling contracts and the calendar.
Maintaining that group costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a year: beyond salaries, the team travels and lives with the player for roughly thirty weeks a season. That is why only players inside the top fifty can afford a full staff; the rest travel with a single coach, or alone.
Why coaches change so often on tour
The average tenure of a coach with a top-level player is eighteen months to two years. The reasons are rarely a falling-out: more often an approach is exhausted, the player hits a ceiling and looks for a fresh view of her game.
Rybakina's case is doubly instructive. Vukov's departure at the end of 2024 and the arrival of Goran Ivanišević looked like a logical step - a coach who had worked with a 24-time Grand Slam champion, paired with a player whose weapon is also the serve. The partnership lasted under three months, while the return of the previous coach coincided with the best stretch of her career: the WTA Finals title and the Australian Open.
The conclusion drawn in the locker room is that compatibility between coach and player counts for more than a résumé.
Related news
- RankingInterviews
Rybakina is world No. 1 for a sixth week and wants to finish the season on top
In the WTA rankings update of 19 October, Elena Rybakina remained world No. 1 for a sixth consecutive week. She has 9,196 points: this week the 500 points for last year's Ningbo title came off. Aryna Sabalenka stays second with 7,550 points, a gap of 1,646 points; Mirra Andreeva is third (6,306). At her pre-tournament press conference in Ningbo, where she is defending the title, Rybakina said that right now it is important for her to try to finish the year as No. 1 and push for a couple more weeks: the season has been successful but long, so she is focusing on her health and managing fitness and matches. There have been no official updates since then on the foot injury that forced her out of the Wuhan Open. In Ningbo, Rybakina is the top seed and starts in the second round: her opponent will be decided on 20 October in the match between Cristina Bucsa and Polina Kudermetova.
Source: WTA, Tennis Explorer, Yahoo Sports - TournamentsInterviews
Rybakina confirms she will play the WTA Finals in Indian Wells
Elena Rybakina has confirmed that she will play the WTA Finals, to be held in Indian Wells from 8 to 15 November. In a video message on the WTA's official social media accounts, the world No. 1 said she was very happy to qualify and invited fans to come and watch, The Astana Times reports. Rybakina was the first player to secure her place in the field of eight and will return as defending champion: in the 2025 final she beat Aryna Sabalenka 6:3, 7:6(0). On 9 October the WTA announced that Mirra Andreeva and Linda Noskova have also qualified. Together with Rybakina and Sabalenka, four of the eight participants are now known; the remaining places will be decided in the coming weeks. Rybakina's next event on her schedule is the WTA 500 in Ningbo (19–25 October), where she defends her title. As of 11 October there has been no official announcement of a withdrawal.
Source: The Astana Times, WTA - US OpenInterviews
Tokayev awards Rybakina the Order of Barys, 3rd class
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has awarded Elena Rybakina the Order of Barys, 3rd class, the Akorda press service announced on 28 September. The award was given for outstanding sporting achievements and a major contribution to the development and popularisation of tennis in Kazakhstan. The President congratulated Rybakina on her US Open victory and her status as world No. 1, and noted that after her wins children are signing up for tennis sections in large numbers. "Three Grand Slam victories will remain in the annals of tennis forever," Tokayev said. Rybakina thanked the head of state for his support and attention to the development of tennis in Kazakhstan and said she is proud to represent the country on the international stage. She received the award before leaving for Beijing, where the WTA 1000 China Open begins this week.
Source: Акорда, sportarena.kz, Sports.ru
Frequently asked questions
Who is Elena Rybakina's coach in 2026?
Stefano Vukov. He has worked with her since 2019, with a break during the 2024/25 off-season.
Why did Rybakina split with Ivanišević?
The partnership ended in January 2025 after the Australian Open. Neither side made the reasons public.
Who is Stanislav Khmarskyi?
A Ukrainian specialist who joined Rybakina's team in autumn 2025. He previously worked with Oleksandr Dolgopolov, Jelena Ostapenko and Marta Kostyuk. The division of duties inside the team has not been explained publicly.
Why did the WTA suspend Stefano Vukov?
For a breach of the WTA code of conduct. He was provisionally suspended in January 2025 and the suspension stood after the investigation closed in February; the tour never disclosed what the breach was. In August 2025 he became eligible for accreditation again and returned to the team.
Who runs Rybakina's fitness work?
The Italian Aldo Chiari, who has worked with the team since 2025. The team physiotherapist is Stefan Duell.