Elena Rybakina has officially teamed up with Goran Ivanisevic as her new coach, sharing a practice selfie with him and two other team members. The 25-year-old Wimbledon champion parted ways with Stefano Vukov in late August and faced a two-month hiatus from competition under unclear circumstances. She announced her new coaching arrangement during a pre-tournament press conference at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, confirming that Ivanisevic, a long-time member of Novak Djokovic’s team, would be guiding her in the preseason.
As the Australian Open approaches, Rybakina is currently preparing in Dubai.
Rybakina expressed her desire to work with Ivanisevic during her time away from the court. After reviewing potential coaching candidates, she recognized that the Croatian, who had recently ended his collaboration with Djokovic in April, was available. “I’m really looking forward to this partnership. I think he’s a great champion with so much experience,” Rybakina said. “It was important for me to improve, and with the help of my agents, we connected and decided to start working together.”
Following the announcement of their collaboration, Ivanisevic reflected on the opportunity, noting Rybakina’s potential for future success. “Game-wise, she has a big serve and is a tall, strong hitter who plays aggressively. She won Wimbledon just like me, and I feel I can teach her something,” he told Tennis Majors in November. “She is already No. 5 in the world, but I believe she can win more Grand Slams, that’s for sure.”
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