Elena Rybakina announces Goran Ivanisevic as coach starting next season

Elena Rybakina, who reached the final of the 2023 Australian Open, where she was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka in three sets, has announced the appointment of Goran Ivanisevic, also a former Wimbledon champion, as her coach, effective from the upcoming season. The current world number five secured her inaugural and only Grand Slam title to date at Wimbledon in 2022, under the guidance of her former coach, Stefano Vukov. Ivanisevic, renowned for his memorable Wimbledon victory as a wildcard entrant in 2001, previously served as a coach for Novak Djokovic for a period of six seasons. During his tenure, he contributed to Djokovic winning 12 of his 24 major championships and also oversaw Marin Cilic’s US Open victory in 2014. Rybakina commented on the appointment, stating, “I think he’s a great champion and he has so much experience.” She further expressed her anticipation, saying, “I’m really looking forward to start.” Rybakina, a 25-year-old representing Kazakhstan, has been inactive since August’s US Open, where she withdrew prior to her second-round match. Her separation from long-term coach Vukov occurred just before the season’s final Grand Slam event. “It’s something new for me. I’ve been with one coach for a long time. I want to learn,” Rybakina elaborated. She concluded, “I’m really happy and we will see what we can do together.” While Rybakina secured three titles within the initial four months of the season, she experienced an unexpected semi-final loss at SW19 to Barbora Krejcikova, who went on to win the tournament. She is scheduled to participate in the WTA Finals, the season-ending tournament held in Saudi Arabia, which features the eight singles players who have accumulated the highest number of ranking points throughout the season. Her opening pool match on Saturday will be against Jasmine Paolini.