Rybakina hires Goran Ivanisevic as new coach in 2025

RIYADH -- World No.5 Elena Rybakina has hired Goran Ivanisevic as her new coach for the 2025 Hologic WTA Tour season. The 2022 Wimbledon champion confirmed the hiring on Media Day at the WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF.

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"I'm really looking forward to this partnership," Rybakina told reporters. "I think he's a great champion and he has so much experience and I'm looking forward to start.

"For me, it was important to get better and with the help of the agents we connected and we just decided to start working. So I'm really looking forward."

Rybakina and Ivanisevic, who previously coached Novak Djokovic, will begin their work during the upcoming pre-season. Rybakina, 25, parted ways with her long-time coach Stefano Vukov after the US Open. She has not played a tournament since New York, opting out of the fall Asian swing to rest her back and prepare for her second straight WTA Finals appearance. 

"I think we had incredible results over five years," Rybakina said. "We achieved a lot. I started with him when I was 200. Now it's the next chapter of my career and I want to make the next step."

"Of course, it's a big change but I think it's going to be a good change. Of course it's not going to be easy when you've worked with somebody for a long time, but we are good with Stefano. I just wish him the best in his new chapter."

Rybakina's 2024 campaign began exceptionally. She captured three titles in the first four months of the year and won 34 of her first 39 matches. But injuries and illness continued to mar her season and impacted her ability to play a consistent schedule. 

"This year I had a lot of ups and downs, starting with insomnia, allergies, and then the back," Rybakina said. "Of course, when you have such a season it's not easy to stop. But once I had some rest, I have to say, it was really nice.

"It's not easy to start after this break, but I'm happy with the work we did in the last two weeks. Of course, I'm not maybe at my 100 percent, but just looking forward and happy to be healthy now and start playing."

Rybakina began practicing again less than three weeks ago. Given the short runway, Rybakina hopes her experience will accelerate her improvement with every match in Riyadh. 

"I'm here without much expectation," Rybakina said. "I want to have fun, I want to see where is my level now playing against the best players. No expectations. Just fight, have fun, and the most important thing for me is to stay healthy and be ready for pre-season and starting fresh for next year."

Rybakina begins her WTA Finals campaign on Saturday against No.4 Jasmine Paolini.