Novak Djokovic also stated that his former coach, Goran Ivanisevic, is excited about his new partnership with Elena Rybakina.
Goran Ivanisevic, Elena Rybakina, and Novak Djokovic (via Tennis Major/Eurosport/X)
Novak Djokovic’s former coach, Goran Ivanisevic, made headlines in November after Elena Rybakina announced him as her new coach. Their collaboration had to wait until the 2025 season which began a few days ago. Djokovic finally broke his silence about their partnership, wishing them to win titles.
Rybakina parted ways with long-term coach Stefano Vukov before the 2024 US Open. The Kazakhstan star struggled to bring out her best on the court as Vukov was alleged to have inflicted mental and emotional pains on her with his notorious coaching style. In November, she announced that Goran Ivanisevic will be her new coach ahead of the 2025 season.
The pair began their new collaboration during the preseason in Dubai and Ivanisevic had traveled with the 2022 Wimbledon Championship to the 2025 United Cup. Interestingly, Rybakina is the first WTA player to be coached by Ivanisevic. The legendary coach had previously teamed up with Djokovic for five years.
He helped Djokovic win a staggering nine Grand Slam titles before it ended in March 2024. During Djokovic’s press conference in Brisbane, he revealed that he’s in touch with Ivanisevic and hopes they win titles together.
In 2024, Rybakina withdrew from several tournaments, including the entirety of the Asian swing due to illness and injuries. The 25-year-old will hope that she competes in more events in the 2025 season.
Elena Rybakina and Goran Ivanisevic’s partnership began with a promising start to the 2025 season. With the legendary coach by her side, Rybakina has won her opening two matches at the United Cup. She defeated Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-2, 6-3 and Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-3.
During the aforementioned press conference, Novak Djokovic said he and Ivanisevic always loved watching Rybakina play and was happy when he heard his ex-coach had partnered with her.
Meanwhile, Djokovic is into the second round of the Brisbane International after defeating Rinky Hijikata in straight sets in the opening match. The Serbian will face Gael Monfils on Wednesday (January 1) for a place in the quarterfinals.
