Goran Ivanisevic quits as coach of Elena Rybakina following Australian Open ouster

The coaching debacle surrounding Elena Rybakina shows no signs of ending anytime soon. Meanwhile, Goran Ivanisevic has sought his way out of the muddle formed in the Kazakh’s team. The former Wimbledon champion, who coached Novak Djokovic during the tenure where the Serb won 12 of his 24 Grand Slam titles, joined Rybakina last season. The duo, however, played together for the first time at the United Cup, which kicked off the 2025 season. Following the United Cup, the duo worked together for the Australian Open, where Rybakina played up to the fourth round. However, all this while, there remained a tussle where Rybakina tried to fix her former coach, Stefano Vukov, in the equation.

Goran Ivanisevic removes himself from the coaching muddle of Elena Rybakina following Australian Open

Injury and controversy have headlined the last season of Elena Rybakina on the WTA Tour. Elena Rybakina parted ways with her coach of five years, Stefano Vukov, ahead of the 2024 US Open. With the Croatian coach, Rybakina rose from being outside the Top 100 in the WTA Rankings to the Top 10. Moreover, the Kazakhstan ace won the 2022 Wimbledon Open with Stefano Vukov, becoming the first player from Kazakhstan to win a Grand Slam major. However, behind all the success, there remained scrutiny over Vukov's treatment of Rybakina. The tennis fraternity raised concerns over the harsh demeanor of the 37-year-old coach toward the WTA player.

After their separation, Elena Rybakina onboarded Goran Ivanisevic, who parted ways with Novak Djokovic in March 2024. While Ivanisevic seemed like the best that Rybakina could have gotten, the 25-year-old player stayed hung up on Vukov. Despite cries against Vukov's conduct, which only grew louder over time, Rybakina defended her former coach staunchly. Moreover, Stefano Vukov also expressed that he had never harassed the player or anyone. However, the WTA intervened when they imposed a provisional suspension on Vukov for a breach of code of conduct. The specific behavior of Vukov that led to the WTA taking action is still not clear, but the hints of it are clear for everyone to pick up.

However, Rybakina saw no reason in the association's decision. At the start of the 2025 season, Rybakina announced the return of Vukov to her team. With Goran Ivanisevic already holding the coaching position, it was not clear where Vukov fit into the equation. Reportedly, Ivanisevic wanted to leave Rybakina's side following the announcement. However, the Kazakh player reasoned with him to assist her, in an attempt to not play the 2025 Australian Open without an official coach alongside her. Ivanisevic complied. Ahead of the Australian Open, Elena Rybakina once again defended Vukov as she shot back at the tennis fraternity and the WTA for the scrutiny over their relationship. Moreover, Rybakina clarified that while Vukov was not accredited for the Australian Open due to the WTA suspension, he could help her off-court while at the Grand Slam.

Elena Rybakina cruised into the fourth round at the Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne before the 11th-seeded Madison Keys beat her to deny an entry into the quarterfinals. Following her exit from the Australian Open, Rybakina once again spoke on her coaching department. When asked if she wanted Vukov in her corner, Rybakina clarified that it had nothing to do with her performance in Melbourne.

"I wanted to have who I wanted to have in the box, but I couldn’t change it and at the end of the day I just tried to focus on my matches and I spoke with him (Vukov). I also have Goran, so it didn’t affect the way I played today or any of the results,” Rybakina had said following her ousting from the Australian Open.

However, it seems like the season’s coach has had enough of being stuck in far from ideal conditions. Goran Ivanisevic, on Tuesday, announced the conclusion of his time as a coach of Elena Rybakina as the Australian Open campaign was curtailed. In a short text posted on social media, Ivanisevic clarified that he was still on a trial period with the sixth-ranked WTA player. With Vukov consistently interfering and Rybakina aiding his access to her game, Ivanisevic concluded the trial period. Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina has made no official statement about Ivanisevic's exit so far.

"After our trial period that finished with the Australian Open, I wish Elena and her team the best of luck moving forward," posted Ivanisevic on his Instagram story.