Goran Ivanisevic has confirmed that he will no longer be coaching Elena Rybakina after their trial period ended following the Australian Open. The announcement came just a day after Rybakina, the No. 6 seed, was knocked out of the tournament in the fourth round by Madison Keys.
Rybakina had brought Ivanisevic on board ahead of the 2024 WTA Finals, and they worked together during the off-season. However, their partnership became complicated when Rybakina rehired her former coach, Stefano Vukov, who had been suspended by the WTA pending an investigation.
On Tuesday, Ivanisevic took to Instagram to announce his departure from Rybakina’s team. “After our trial period that finished with the Australian Open, I wish Elena and her team the best of luck moving forward,” he wrote.
Rybakina had already hinted at uncertainty surrounding their future after her loss to Keys. When asked if Ivanisevic would remain part of her coaching team, the 2023 Australian Open finalist said, “We still need to talk, of course. We just tried the preseason and these couple of tournaments, so it was more about getting used to each other. We’ll definitely discuss how things will proceed.”
Ivanisevic had joined Rybakina’s team for a pre-season training block in Dubai and was present during the United Cup and Australian Open. However, their partnership became unstable when Rybakina unexpectedly rehired Vukov, whom she had split from before the 2024 US Open.
On New Year’s Day, Rybakina announced Vukov’s return to her team for the 2025 season. Just a day later, The Athletic reported that Vukov had been provisionally suspended by the WTA for an alleged breach of the tour’s Code of Conduct, barring him from attending WTA events. Tennis Australia also did not grant Vukov accreditation for the Australian Open.
The WTA launched its investigation following the end of Rybakina and Vukov’s coaching partnership in August 2024 after receiving complaints about Vukov’s conduct. Vukov, who denies the allegations, has not been interviewed as part of the investigation. In a statement to The Athletic, Vukov said, “I have definitely never abused anyone.”
Rybakina reportedly refuted the claims about her coach and was not among those who filed complaints.
Ivanisevic was reportedly “blindsided” by Rybakina’s decision to announce Vukov’s return to the team. He declined to comment further until the investigation concludes and a decision is made regarding Vukov’s status on the WTA Tour. A resolution is expected to be announced following the conclusion of the Australian Open.
