New Delhi
Goran Ivanisevic has announced his departure as Elena Rybakina’s coach following her fourth-round loss at the Australian Open. The decision comes after their trial partnership concluded with the tournament.
World No. 6 Rybakina, a 2023 Australian Open finalist, was eliminated on Monday after a hard-fought 3-6, 6-1, 3-6 defeat to No. 19 seed Madison Keys in the fourth round. Ivanisevic shared the news on social media, wishing Rybakina and her team success moving forward.
Before working with Rybakina, Ivanisevic coached Novak Djokovic for six seasons, during which the Serbian legend won 12 Grand Slam titles. A former World No. 2 and Wimbledon champion in 2001, Ivanisevic is regarded as one of the greatest servers in tennis history.
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion and World No. 5, had hired Ivanisevic for the 2025 WTA Tour season, announcing the collaboration last November at the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
The coaching change follows the return of Rybakina’s long-time coach, Stefano Vukov, who had been suspended by the WTA for a potential breach of the tour’s Code of Conduct. Vukov, who coached Rybakina from 2019 until the 2024 US Open, helped her reach a career-high ranking of No. 3 and win her maiden Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2022.
With Ivanisevic stepping aside, Rybakina is poised to continue her journey with Vukov as her coach once again.