Russian-born Kazakh WTA star Elena Rybakina rarely looks back. However, the whirlwind of her coaching drama pushed her to. She separated from Goran Ivanisevic’s mentorship after two tournaments together. Ivanisevic, who formerly coached Novak Djokovic, announced it on his IG profile: “After our trial period that finished with Australian Open, I wish Elena and her team the best of luck moving forward.”

Ivanisevic’s statement didn’t seem unexpected, especially when the Kazakh player brought back her former coach Stefano Vukov in January without the Croatian’s knowledge. Although it stirred controversy, Rybakina remained firm on her decision. Now she offers a casual statement about her split with Ivanisevic.

“It’s a normal part of my journey. That chapter is closed, and I’m looking forward to achieving new successes with my new coach,” she said to the Emirates News Agency. Despite parting ways, Rybakina had a good start with the Croatian coach, who took to his official IG platform to share a picture with the WTA No. 5 and her physical trainer Azuz Simcich, physio Stefan Duell, all grinning. “Great first (two) weeks of preseason in Dubai. Let’s keep it up,” Ivanisevic captioned.

Ivanisevic’s student was equally excited. “Really looking forward to this partnership, I think he’s great champion and he has so much experience. I’m really looking forward to start. I definitely wanted to work with him,” said Rybakina after the 2024 WTA Finals in Riyadh.

However, the WTA No. 5’s relationship with Goran Ivanisevic seemed complicated to many, including Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs. On her Rennae Stubbs Tennis podcast, she said, “Clearly she is struggling with this relationship with him, whatever that may be, and wanting to bring him back. I can tell you right now, Goran’s not going to stand for it.” Stubbs also suggested that for an esteemed coach like Ivanisevic dealing with Rybakina’s decision about Vukov might be hard.

Ivanisevic remained tight-lipped but gave a cryptic response to Ben Rothenberg about his long-term plans as Rybakina’s coach. “I just want to wait for WTA. I think it’s fair. And then, we’ll see what’s going to be next. Still, I don’t want to go too much into the future. It’s today, Tuesday. Let’s stay on Tuesday,” Ivanisevic reflected. Days later, his decision was official.

Following the Croatian coach’s exit after her AO run, Rybakina brought former Italian player Davide Sanguinetti into her team. The Kazakh player wanted Sanguinetti to accompany her to the tournaments and work with her former coach Stefano Vukov, who received a ban from the WTA events until his investigation for breaching the code of conduct was completed. While Vukov is under scrutiny, Rybakina’s support for him remains steadfast.

Elena Rybakina supported Stefano Vukov with an interesting confession

In a conversation with AFP at the Abu Dhabi Open, Rybakina said she is “communicating” with Vukov. She also added that Sanguinetti and Vukov are in contact and spent time together at one of Dubai’s training blocks after AO. While discussing new mentorship, Rybakina laid bare her feelings about Vukov’s suspension. She supported her former coach and said, “He’s an important person in my career. We started when I was like 200 (in the world). So it’s a lot of things, on the court, outside of the court, he’s helping out with.” 

Rybakina firmly confessed, “It’s not ideal that he cannot be on the practice courts,” revealing her disappointment with WTA’s decision. However, she confirmed, relying on Vukov and Sanguinetti’s decision together for her mentorship. “I hope it’s going to work out. We have a good team,” she concluded.

Rybakina’s decisions about Vukov landed her in controversy. She refuted any claims of misbehavior from Vukov, backing him in the media. On the flip side, Vukov’s inclusion connected dots with Ivanisevic’s exit. However, Elena Rybakina cleared the air, calling it a mutual decision, and expressed positivity about her next tournament with her new coach on board!