Former world No 1 Andy Roddick has given his candid reaction to the WTA’s decision to ban Elena Rybakina’s coach Stefano Vukov from the tour.

The 2003 US Open winner blamed Vukov for ending of Rybakina’s collaboration with Goran Ivanisevic, who he labelled “one of the best coaches in the world.”

Rybakina worked with Vukov from February 2019 until August 2024, when the pair split.

The 2022 Wimbledon winner hired Goran Ivanisevic at the end of the 2024 campaign, before announcing on January 1 that Vukov would be re-joining her team.

The day after Rybakina’s shock move, it was reported that Vukov had been suspended by the WTA Tour amid an investigation into a breach of their code of conduct. Vukov did not receive accreditation for the Australian Open, with Tennis Australia upholding the WTA’s provisional suspension.

Ivanisevic worked with Rybakina at the Australian Open, but the Croat — who enjoyed a hugely successful spell coaching Novak Djokovic from 2019-2024 — announced his “trial” collaboration with the Kazakh ended after the tournament.

The WTA has announced on Tuesday that Vukov will remain barred from coaching Rybakina in an official capacity.

In a statement, the WTA said: “The WTA confirms that the independent investigation into a potential breach of the WTA Code of Conduct by Stefano Vukov has concluded.

“Following this process, the suspension remains in place. To protect the confidentiality and integrity of the investigation and its findings, the WTA will not provide further details.

“We remain committed to ensuring that all matters are handled in a fair and objective manner in accordance with the WTA Code of Conduct.”

Reporting from The Athletic shed light on the disturbing details of Vukov’s “mental abuse” of Rybakina and disclosed that the pair’s relationship was described as “toxic” by the WTA’s chief executive Portia Archer.

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Rybakina, who has repeatedly said that Vukov “has never mistreated” her, proclaimed that she was “disappointed” by the ban while competing at the Qatar Open.

Speaking on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast, Roddick lamented the fact the situation has taken focus away from Rybakina’s outstanding qualities as a player as he also criticised Vukov for being “selfish.”

“It needs to be said, at the end of all of this, we can have our opinions, they don’t really matter that much, they don’t affect the situation at all,” the 2003 US Open champion said.

“You just hope she is happy, she is clear-headed, she is making these decisions for herself, there is not some other control mechanism going on, because Elena Rybakina is phenomenal, she’s so good, she’s so good.

“It’s like this weird swagger where she’ll win a match and barely fist pump. She won Wimbledon and it was like it was expected. There’s something really cool there, this big, tall athlete who can move the way she does and strikes the ball so smoothly.

“That’s what we want to be talking about with her. At the end of the day, that’s what we want to be focusing on, not this circus show of a dude who is inserting himself into the conversation.

“Like, I don’t know, if you’re with someone and you care about that person and they have one of the best coaches in the world (Goran Ivanisevic) agreeing to work with them, it’s kind of selfish to put yourself in the middle of all that and have proximity in putting this out and making yourself part of the story.

“Especially before there is a ruling of any way, shape or form. There has to be an element of self-control here.”

Rybakina, the world No 7, will face Iga Swiatek in a blockbuster quarter-final clash in Doha on Thursday.

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