The WTA has confirmed that Stefano Vukov, the former coach of Elena Rybakina, will remain banned from the Tour after an investigation into his behaviour towards the world No. 5.

In January, it was announced that Vukov had been provisionally suspended for an alleged breach of the WTA’s Code of Conduct.

The Croat has denied any wrongdoing, while Rybakina says he never mistreated her while they worked together.

However, an independent investigation into his actions followed, and the governing body of women’s tennis has now confirmed that it has upheld the ban.

A statement read: “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.”

The WTA hasn’t clarified how long Vukov’s ban is in place, nor has it specified the section of the Code he is deemed to have breached.

The 37-year-old can appeal the decision. However, for now, Rybakina won’t be able to restart their partnership as she’d hoped at the start of the 2025 season.

Vukov worked with the Kazakhstani star since her teenage years and played a pivotal role in her Wimbledon triumph in 2022.

That success in SW19 remains her sole Grand Slam title, and the 25-year-old ended their working relationship ahead of last year’s US Open.

She looked to reignite the partnership in January, but Vukov’s provisional suspension denied him accreditation for the Australian Open.

Coach and commentator Pam Shriver is among the tennis names who have raised concerns about Vukov’s behaviour towards Rybakina in recent years.

He has faced scrutiny for the manner in which he has spoken to Rybakina on and off the court, despite both individual’s insistence that there was no reason to be worried.

Most recently, she revealed that she was in external contact with Vukov, who was supporting her with “a lot of things, on the court, outside of the court.”

Rybakina reached the last 16 of the Qatar Open by beating the USA’s Peyton Stearns 6-2 6-4 on Tuesday.

She will face Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova for a place in the quarter-finals.