Elena Rybakina makes another change to her coaching team ahead of 2025 season after hiring Goran Ivanisevic

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Elena Rybakina made a major change to her coaching team for the 2025 season with the hiring of Goran Ivanisevic.

Novak Djokovic thinks Rybakina is motivated under Ivanisevic, with the Croatian having previously coached the Serbian.

They enjoyed a very successful partnership together, but Ivanisevic has now traded the ATP Tour for the WTA Tour.

Rybakina announced the hiring of the 2001 Wimbledon champion before the WTA Finals, having split with Stefano Vukov.

That pairing of five years was ended just before the US Open, where the 2022 Wimbledon champion lost in the second round.

Elena Rybakina confirms another coaching change after Goran Ivanisevic

Ivanisevic joined Rybakina’s ranks in the off-season, with the latter having failed to make it beyond the groups at the WTA Finals.

But the Kazakhstan national has now confirmed another coaching change, with Vukov seemingly rejoining her team.

READ MORE: Tim Henman says why he is ‘really pleased’ for Elena Rybakina despite her WTA Finals group stage exit

“Hello everyone, I am excited to announce that Stefano will be joining the team for the 2025 season,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “Thank you all for the support. And wishing you a great 2025.”

What level is Elena Rybakina playing at ahead of the Australian Open?

Having reached number three in the WTA rankings in June 2023, the eight-time tour-level winner currently occupies sixth spot.

She finished the 2024 season with a 42-11 win-loss record, and has now started 2025 in fantastic fashion.

READ MORE: Andy Roddick reacts after Elena Rybakina picks Goran Ivanisevic as her new coach for 2025

Rybakina has been shining brightly at the 2025 United Cup, with her impressive efforts helping send Kazakhstan into the semi-finals.

There, they face the winners of Poland and Great Britain, with the USA also already into the last four in Australia.

The displays will give Rybakina plenty of confidence going into the Australian Open, which gets underway in Melbourne later this month.

Ivanisevic will undoubtedly be keen to work with Rybakina as much as possible before the Grand Slam starts, but she is seemingly finding her feet at exactly the right time.