RYBAKINA REVEALS STUBBORN STREAK

World No. 5, who refreshes coaching team, says she’s not an easy player to work with

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Elena Rybakina has added Italian former player Davide Sanguinetti to her coaching staff, while criticising the WTA over the handling of her coach Stefano Vukov, who remains suspended for allegedly breaching the tour's code of conduct.

Rybakina ended her trial period with Novak Djokovic's former coach Goran Ivanisevic following her fourth-round exit from the Australian Open in January.

She has brought in Sanguinetti to accompany her at tournaments and work with Vukov, who is banned from all sanctioned events pending the women tour's investigation into his conduct. Sanguinetti is with Rybakina this week in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where the world No. 5 is the top seed and defending champion.

The 2022 Wimbledon winner said she has not been notified by the WTA about a date for the conclusion of the investigation and insisted the situation "was not handled well".

"I don't know much. It's a situation I'm not happy with. But it is what it is but for now, I don't know much," Rybakina told AFP at the Abu Dhabi Open on Feb 2.

"I think safeguarding is important but the case with what happened with us, I don't think it was handled well."

Vukov told The Athletic that he "never abused anyone" and Rybakina feels she is not being heard.