Tennis commentators have slammed the Australian Open over the “uncomfortable” moment where Elena Rybakina’s coach was awarded a trophy.
The Kazakhstani champ won the Australian Open for the first time in an epic comeback victory over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a rollercoaster final on Saturday night.
The 26-year-old showed her class in coming back from 0-3 down in the third set to win the title 6-4 4-6 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena.
Sabalenka was left in tears after letting the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup slip through her fingers, while Rybakina served out the thriller and celebrated with a muted fist pump.
It was Rybakina’s second grand slam title since she broke through to win Wimbledon in 2022.
After shaking hands with Sabalenka and the chair umpire, Rybakina gave the crowd a humble wave with her racquet before walking to her coach’s corner to embrace her team.
The moment she hugged coach Stefano Vukov left many commentators uncomfortable.
They were left squirming in their chairs even more so when Vukov was called onto the podium during the trophy ceremony to receive the trophy awarded to the victorious coach.
Vukov received the trophy from former Aussie Open champ Jennifer Capriati before returning to stand on the left side of the stage.
Vukov, who helped Rybakina win Wimbledon, was previously under a provisional suspension over a potential breach of the WTA’s code of conduct.
Vukov was reported to have used harsh and abusive behavior towards players, claims he denied.
Rybakina was exasperated by the allegations and suspension.
“I always said that he never mistreated me,” she said at the time. Vukov was back in Rybakina’s corner at the US Open last year, after the ban preventing him from entering all WTA tournament venues was lifted in August.
The New York Times reported Rybakina and Vukov, 12 years her senior, stayed in the same hotel room during the 2025 Australian Open while he was banned and cited multiple sources claiming their relationship had become romantic.
Vukov began working with Rybakina when she was 19.
At the 2024 US Open, the report alleged, Vukov was “told by a member of Rybakina’s team that he had been dismissed as her coach and to leave her alone.
“Vukov instead walked the lobby and hallways of her Manhattan hotel. He flooded her phone with text messages and more than 100 calls — according to sources with personal and professional relationships with Rybakina who were present at the hotel — as he sought another chance to convince Rybakina that her tennis career could not thrive without him.”
It’s why his presence on stage on Saturday night has caused such a stir.
“It was an awkward, uncomfortable moment seeing Stefano receive that trophy,” leading tennis commentator Catherine Whitaker said on The Tennis Podcast.
She described the introduction of the tournament’s coaching award as a “misfire,” saying the concept has bad “optics.”
“We had the moment tonight. I see the place it’s coming from and that’s great, but I just don’t think it works and tonight was a particularly extreme example of how it felt very uncomfortable,” she said.
Podcast co-host Matt Roberts said: “It did feel uncomfortable. I got the sense that a lot of people in the crowd were uncomfortable with it. I thought a lot of people knew of Vukov’s history.
“It did feel like there was very muted applause. Just very awkward.”
Rybakina was asked about Vukov’s return during her post-match press conference.
“Well, I didn’t think anything particular, because we won many titles together, and even last year in Ningbo, WTA Finals, and now this trophy I felt just, again, proud and thankful to my team for the work,” she said.
“I mean, we did good preparation. We had some ups and downs during the preseason, even beginning of this year, first tournament. So, yeah, I’m just super glad.
“Again, I think it’s a win for all the team, all the people who support me. I just hope that I can carry this moment throughout the whole season and keep on improving.”
Meanwhile, Rybakina barely celebrated the special moment she finished off the match with an ace.
It was an unusual sight for many viewers to watch Rybakina’s understated emotions as she humbly waved to the crowd and smiled.
It was in stark contrast to Sabalenka who was seen covering her head with a towel as she sat down ahead of the trophy ceremony.
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