Elena Rybakina, the Kazakh tennis star, has embarked on a new chapter in her career with the appointment of Goran Ivanisevic as her coach. Ivanisevic, renowned for his successful tenure with Novak Djokovic, brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to Rybakina’s game.
The partnership between Rybakina and Ivanisevic began with a couple of weeks of intensive training in Dubai before the World Tennis League exhibition event. During this time, Ivanisevic focused on enhancing Rybakina’s net play and encouraging her to show more emotion on the court. “We did preparation for a couple of weeks and still getting to know each other,” Rybakina shared during a press conference ahead of the United Cup.
Ivanisevic has been vocal about his coaching philosophy, emphasizing the need for Rybakina to play more aggressively and finish points earlier. “She has a very good game and she’s able to finish points much earlier than she’s used to,” Ivanisevic said. “It’s a process. She needs to get it into her head that she needs to play more aggressively, going to the net to finish certain points on the volley.”
Rybakina, known for her powerful serve and aggressive style of play, has already started to see the benefits of working with Ivanisevic. “He’s a fun guy,” Rybakina said, adding that she is learning valuable insights from him every day. “I’m feeling much better physically and hopefully we can do well here,” she added.
The duo’s first official tournament together will be the United Cup, where Rybakina will represent Kazakhstan. The Kazakh star is optimistic about the partnership and is looking forward to showcasing their hard work on the court.
As Rybakina and Ivanisevic continue to build their relationship, tennis fans around the world will be watching closely to see how this new partnership unfolds and whether it will lead to more success for the talented Kazakh player.
Elena Rybakina in 2024
Ranked world no.6, the Kazakhstani played her last match on the 27th of December when she overcame world no.54 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-2 6-3 in the round robin in Australia (draw).
This season the Kazakhstani has achieved a compiled 1-0 win-loss record. Elena conquered 3 titles in 2024 in Brisbane, Abu Dhabi and Stuttgart. Rybakina was the finalist in Doha and Miami.