Does Elena Rybakina Have a Boyfriend? Exploring the Dating Rumors With Coach Stefano Vukov

Elena Rybakina is currently competing in the Round of 16 at the 2026 US Open against Naomi Osaka, where she entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed. Despite entering the tournament with minor fitness concerns after withdrawing from Cincinnati, Rybakina has enjoyed a dominant run, advancing to the fourth round without dropping a single set. Elena Rybakina has kept her personal life private and has not publicly confirmed a romantic relationship or boyfriend. While the tennis star prefers to keep the focus strictly on her career, speculation about her dating life has frequently centered on her relationship with her longtime coach, Stefano Vukov. The rumors linking the World no. 2 romantically to Vukov stemmed from their close professional relationship and the dramatic off-court developments surrounding her team. Details that emerged during discussions on the tour suggested that their professional dynamic had reportedly crossed personal boundaries, which led to increased scrutiny from the tennis community. This, along with reported concerns raised by outside observers and tour insiders about Vukov's harsh demeanor on the court, eventually led the WTA to issue a provisional suspension against him under its code of conduct policies. The suspension was later overturned on appeal, allowing Vukov to return to Rybakina's coaching box. Throughout the episode, Rybakina firmly defended her coach and repeatedly stated that Vukov had never mistreated her. She pushed back against the criticism, emphasizing that their relationship was built on professional communication and loyalty. In an Instagram post, the 27-year-old stated that Stefano was one of the first people to believe in her potential. 'Stefano has believed in me for many years, before anyone else did. We plotted a strategy together in how I could achieve great things and his method shows in my Grand Slam success so far.' She added that the allegations surrounding her coach were false and asked fans to avoid speculation on the subject. 'Those who know me well, will know that I would never accept a coach that didn't respect me and all our hard work. I may be quiet on court and in general, but inside me is a competitive athlete that wants to achieve great things and Stefano has helped me greatly in this way. So please disregard any fake news to the contrary.' Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved This story was originally published September 7, 2026 at 3:24 PM.