Stefano Vukov, the former coach of top women’s tennis player Elena Rybakina, has been suspended following an independent investigation by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the governing body announced.

Elena Rybakina was disappointed at the WTA's decision to uphold a ban against her former coach Stefano Vukov following an investigation into a potential breach of its code of conduct, she said on Wednesday.

The Elena Rybakina coach controversy has sparked shockwaves after allegations of mistreatment, including claims of forced labor and health issues.

The suspension of Elena Rybakina's former coach Stefano Vukov "remains in place," the WTA Tour said Tuesday after confirming it had completed its investigation into a potential breach of its code of conduct.

The report also stated that there is evidence that suggests the two are in "a romantic relationship" since they stayed together in the same hotel room in Melbourne during this past Australian Open. Meanwhile, the 2022 Wimbledon champion claimed throughout the entire process that she was "never mistreated" by Vukov.

Elena Rybakina struggled a bit early against 46th-ranked Rebecca Sramkova but ultimately managed to break the Slovak's resistance and get the job done in two sets 7-6 (1) 6-2 in their Doha round-of-16 match.

Elena Rybakina admitted that she was "disappointed" with how the WTA handled the Stefano Vukov situation and the verdict they made. On Tuesday, the news broke out that the Kazakh's coach was found guilty of breaching the WTA's conduct policy and that his ban was upheld.

Elena Rybakina's former coach Stefano Vukov remains banned by the WTA after an investigation into his behaviour towards the 2022 Wimbledon champion.