Ivanisevic stops coaching Rybakina after trial period ends

Former Wimbledon tennis champion Goran Ivanišević has stated that he will cease coaching world No. 6 player Elena Rybakina following the Australian Open. The pair began their trial coaching partnership in mid-December last year.

Rybakina, a former finalist at Melbourne Park, was defeated in the fourth round on Monday by Madison Keys with a score of 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Ivanišević posted on Instagram on Tuesday that he would not continue coaching Rybakina, writing: “After our trial period, I wish Elena and her team all the best in the future.”

Ivanišević previously coached men's tennis 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, helping him win 12 Grand Slam titles. Rybakina announced in early January that she wanted to bring her former coach, Stefano Vukov, back into her team, despite Vukov being temporarily suspended by the WTA.

Vukov, 37, is under investigation by the women's tennis governing body for alleged misconduct towards a player and is currently suspended. Vukov has denied any wrongdoing, and Rybakina has stated that she has never made any complaints against him. As a member of Rybakina's team when she won Wimbledon in 2022, Croatian Vukov was not eligible to attend the Australian Open.