Elena Rybakina to work with former Novak Djokovic coach Goran Ivanisevic in 2025

Elena Rybakina’s press conferences haven’t been raucous affairs of late but the 2022 Wimbledon champion was aware she was making big news at her pre-WTA Finals presser when she announced Goran Ivanisevic would be her new coach for the 2025 season.

“Now I'm going to stay here for the next seven minutes, right?” she joked after naming the 2001 Wimbledon winner and former coach of Novak Djokovic.

Rybakina, who is making a second appearance at the WTA Finals, had announced an abrupt end to her longterm partnership with Stefano Vukov, who had been part of her team throughout her rise towards the top of women’s tennis, and had been reluctant to speak at length on the decision when it became public before the 2024 US Open.

“I know that a lot of I guess rumors going on,” clarified Rybakina, who hasn’t played since withdrawing from her US Open second round due to a lower back injury. “But honestly we just part ways with Stefano. I think we had incredible results over five years. We achieved a lot. I started with him when I was 200. I think it's just now the next chapter of my career. I want to make the next step.”

Really looking forward to this partnership. I think he's great champion and he has so much experience. I'm really looking forward to start...for me [it] was important to get better. Elena Rybakina on new coach Goran Ivanisevic

That next step will start with Ivanisevic during the pre-season and continue into 2025.

“Really looking forward to this partnership. I think he's great champion and he has so much experience. I'm really looking forward to start. Yeah, for me [it] was important to get better.

“I definitely wanted to work with him. I'm sure since he said ‘Yes’ he also, so...It's just very interesting for me. I want to learn. I'm just looking forward. As we just said, it's something new for me. Also, I've been with one coach for long time. I want to learn.

“Yeah, really happy and we will see what we can do together.”

Ivanisevic has been part of the tennis tapestry for over three decades, reaching three Wimbledon finals before finally scoring his popular victory as a wild card in 2001. As a coach, he spent three years working with Marin Cilic, who won the US Open in 2014, and worked with both Tomas Berdych and Milos Raonic before partnering Djokovic in 2019.

Under Ivanisevic, Djokovic won nine major titles, two ATP Finals titles, and seven Masters 1000s before parting ways with the former world No. 1 at the end of March.

Rybakina is the No. 5 seed at the WTA Finals, taking place for the first time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is part of the Purple Group along with top seed Aryna Sabalenka, No. 4 seed Jasmine Paolini, and No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen.