World No. 6 Elena Rybakina expresses confidence in partnership with Novak Djokovic’s ex-coach Goran Ivanisevic

Elena Rybakina, recently, after 5 years announced her split from her now ex-coach Stefano Vukov.

World No. 6 Elena Rybakina expresses confidence in partnership with Novak Djokovic’s ex-coach Goran Ivanisevic

Elena Rybakina and Goran Ivanisevic (image via Instagram)

In a press conference during the United Cup, World No. 6 Elena Rybakina spoke about her partnership with her new coach, Goran Ivanisevic. Ivanisevic came on board with Rybakina in November, prior to which he was with Novak Djokovic since 2019.

The Kazakhstani player had earlier been coached by Stefano Vukov, a Croatian former tennis player, since 2019. With Vukov as her first travelling coach, Rybakina had rapidly improved.

YouTube video

We had a couple of weeks together, Goran’s a fun guy. I can’t say too much about our work, but we had a good preparation. Not much time has passed, but I’m already getting experience from him, especially as a player, how he used to prepare. I’m learning every day, I’m feeling much better physically and hopefully we can do well here.

Elena Rybakina on Goran Ivanisevic in a recent presser

Elena Rybakina rose from inside the top 200 of the WTA rankings into the top 30 in about a year. She also won her first Grand Slam, the Wimbledon in 2022. In 2024, Rybakina announced that she and Stefano Vukov had split ahead of the US Open. 

FS Video

In March 2024, Novak Djokovic announced his separation from Goran Ivanisevic. Later in November, it was announced that Novak Djokovic chose his longtime rival Andy Murray to coach him at the Australian Open. This partnership, which has gained a lot of traction, will be the first coaching role for Andy Murray, who retired this year after the Paris Olympics.

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Elena Rybakina in the 2024 season and at the United Cup

Elena Rybakina is looking to make up for last season’s disappointment. She won three WTA 500 titles in 2024, triumphing in Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, and Stuttgart. In Grand Slam events, Rybakina reached the semifinals at Wimbledon and the quarterfinals at the French Open but faced early exits in the second rounds of both the Australian and US Opens. Her season was marred by health issues, including a back injury that led to withdrawals from the US Open and the Asian swing of tournaments.

Elena Rybakina
Elena Rybakina (via X)

Rybakina was last in action at the WTA Finals in Riyadh. She wrapped up an up-and-down season with a statement win over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka there. That’s also where the 25-year-old revealed the news of her partnership with Goran Ivanisevic. 

Rybakina expressed confidence that her new partnership with Goran Ivanisevic will pay dividends, starting at the mixed-team United Cup. Ryabikana completed a Dubai training block with her coach before joining her Kazakhstan compatriots for the Perth leg of the 18-nation tournament, which commences the 2025 season. The entire Kazakhstan squad are newcomers to the United Cup, now in its third edition.

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Recently, Rybakina secured the first win against Spain at the United Cup. She defeated world No. 54 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro with a score of 6-2, 6-3 in two sets, equalizing the score for Kazakhstan in the match against Spain.