Goran Ivanisevic has described his split with Elena Rybakina as “a sad and strange” story as he spoke about the situation for the first time.
Rybakina hired Ivanisevic at the end of the 2024 season following her decision to separate from long-time coach Stefano Vukov in August.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion revealed on January 1, however, that Vukov would be re-joining her coaching team for the 2025 season. Ivanisevic was “blindsided” by Vukov’s return, according to the The Athletic.
The day after Rybakina’s announcement, it emerged that Vukov, who was Rybakina’s coach from 2019 to 2024, had been suspended by the WTA amid an investigation into a breach of their code of conduct.
Vukov did not receive accreditation for the Australian Open, with Tennis Australia upholding the WTA’s provisional suspension. The WTA is yet to announce the outcome of the investigation.
Ivanisevic coached Rybakina at the Australian Open, where the 25-year-old reached the fourth round, losing to eventual champion Madison Keys.
Following the Melbourne Grand Slam, Ivanisevic announced he would no longer be coaching Rybakina.
“After our trial period that finished with Australian Open, I wish Elena and her team best of luck moving forward,” Novak Djokovic’s former coach wrote on social media.
The WTA revealed last month that Vukov would remain barred from coaching the Rybakina in an official capacity following its investigation.
In an interview with Croatian football manager and former player Slaven Bilic, Ivanisevic pointed to off-court issues as the reason he parted ways with Rybakina as he lauded the Kazakh’s ability as a player.
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