Goran Ivanišević is no longer the coach of the Kazakh tennis player Elena Ribakina.
Ivanišević left a message on his Instagram: After our trial period which ended at the Australian Open, I would like to wish Elena and her staff all the best for the future.
Ribakina is the seventh tennis player in the world, and Ivanišević was her coach from November 1st last year.
BREAKING:
Elena Rybakina and Goran Ivanisevic have ended their coaching partnership.
“After our trial period that ended with the Australian Open, I wish Elena & her team the best of luck moving forward.”
(via Goran’s IG) pic.twitter.com/cqe4wRQHrG
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 21, 2025
However, Ribakina stated at the beginning of 2025 that she would return the 37-year-old to the staff Stefan Vukovwith whom she collaborated for five years. The return of Vukovo was a big surprise, after she was a journalist Sofia Tartakova in September announced that Ribakina broke off their cooperation for the first time because of a relationship that “wasn’t quite right” and added that he allegedly “constantly trampled her, literally squeezed everything out of her”, reports Index.
Two days after Ribakina brought Vukov back to her team, The WTA suspended him and launched an independent investigation into the alleged breach of the code of conduct. Ribakina defended Vukov, and at tonight’s media conference after the defeat, she was asked how she was affected by not having Vukov in the coaching staff during the Australian Open.
New:
Goran Ivanisevic, made into an awkward third wheel in the bumpy Rybakina-Vukov ride, announces he won’t be continuing to work with Rybakina. pic.twitter.com/5AFxXRmU5r
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) January 21, 2025
This is not a situation I want to be in. Of course, I want to have the people I want in the staff, but I couldn’t change that. I tried to focus on my matches. I talked to him, and I also have Goran. That affected how I played today, answered Ribakina.
When asked if she would keep Ivanišević in the team, she answered: We need to talk, of course. As I said, we just worked together in the pre-season and in a couple of tournaments. We get used to each other. We will definitely talk about what the next schedule will look like.
Vukov is known as a coach who has a sharp style, and his behavior on the Tour was repeatedly criticized. Some even declared him the most annoying person on the WTA Tour. Vukov was born in Rijeka, and from 2003 to 2009 he played tennis professionally.
His best ranking was in 2007, when he was the 1122nd tennis player in the world. Ribakina won Wimbledon in 2022 and has eight career titles. She is currently the seventh tennis player in the world, and she earned about 15 million dollars from the tournament. Ribakina was eliminated in the fourth round of the Australian Open by the American Madison Keys.
(www.jabuka.tv)
