Elena Rybakina Hires Goran Ivanisevic as New Coach

Elena Rybakina has appointed Goran Ivanisevic, the former Wimbledon champion as her coach starting next season. The 25-year-old Kazakhstani, currently ranked fifth in the world, won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2022 under her previous coach, Stefano Vukov. Meanwhile, Ivanisevic, who famously triumphed at Wimbledon in 2001 as a wildcard brings extensive coaching experience to the table, having worked with Novak Djokovic for six seasons.

During their time together, he assisted Djokovic in winning 12 of his 24 major titles and he also coached Marin Cilic to victory at the US Open in 2014. Rybakina expressed her excitement about the partnership, stating, “I think he’s a great champion and he has so much experience. I’m really looking forward to starting.” However, she has not played since withdrawing from the US Open before her second-round match and decided to part ways with Vukov shortly before the tournament.

Reflecting on this new chapter, Rybakina said, “It’s something new for me. I’ve been with one coach for a long time. I want to learn. I’m really happy and we will see what we can do together.” Earlier in the season, Rybakina claimed three titles within the first four months; however, she faced a surprising semi-final defeat at Wimbledon to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova.

Looking ahead, she is set to participate in the season-ending WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia which features the top eight singles players based on ranking points accumulated throughout the season. In her first pool match on Saturday, Elena Rybakina will kick off her campaign against Jasmine Paolini.