Goran Ivanisevic gives his honest opinion on Elena Rybakina’s level after coaching her and confirms the reason he quit

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Goran Ivanisevic’s coaching relationship with Elena Rybakina was short-lived, as the pair worked together at just two tournaments.

Ahead of the 2025 season, Rybakina announced Ivanisevic as her new coach, following the Croat’s exit from Novak Djokovic’s team.

The pair began their work at the United Cup, where Rybakina and Kazakhstan were eliminated by Iga Swiatek and Poland in the semi-finals.

Heading to Melbourne, Rybakina lost to eventual champion Madison Keys in the fourth round of the Australian Open, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6.

Rybakina then re-hired Stefano Vukov to her coaching team, signalling an end to Ivanisevic’s time in charge as he left his role as coach after one month.

Two months on, Ivanisevic has now given his honest opinion on Rybakina as he explains his decision to depart the Kazakh’s team.

Goran Ivanisevic says Elena Rybakina is ‘the best female tennis player in the world’

During an interview with Slaven Bilic, Ivanisevic reflected upon his split with Rybakina earlier this year.

“It was a bit strange,” he said.

“I don’t want to talk about it much, but I can say it’s a sad and strange story.

“Unfortunately, some things happened off the court that I couldn’t control, and I didn’t want to be a part of it or part of that story.

“I decided it was best for me to step down.”

Vukov’s return to Rybakina’s team caused a lot of controversy, as the Croat is currently banned from appearing at WTA Tour events following an independent investigation into his behavior towards the player.

Focusing on the positives, Ivanisevic spoke highly of the 25-year-old’s level despite only working together for a short period of time.

“She was the best female tennis player in the world to me even before I became her coach,” he said.

“The best, because she plays the most beautiful and simplest game and I really enjoyed the job.

“I wish her all the best in her career.

“She will always be in the top five or top ten best female players.”

The Croat then shared his thoughts on WTA Tour coaching, suggesting he could be open to working with another player in the future.

“I never thought I would be a female coach, and I really liked it,” said Ivanisevic.

“I don’t know if I’ll coach women again, but after Novak [Djokovic] and after that long ten-month break, you miss your job.”

How has Elena Rybakina performed since splitting with Goran Ivanisevic in January?

The former Wimbledon champion made further headlines in February when Rybakina added Davide Sanguinetti to her team.

Under the Italian’s guidance, Rybakina has reached two semi-finals, enjoying her best performance at the Dubai WTA 1000 event,

• 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships (SF) – Elena Rybakina lost to Mirra Andreeva, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6
• 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships (QF) – Elena Rybakina beat Sofia Kenin, 6-2, 7-6
• 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships (3R) – Elena Rybakina beat Paula Badosa, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6
• 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships (2R) – Elena Rybakina beat Moyuka Uchijima, 6-3, 6-2

Rybakina lost to Mirra Andreeva in a thrilling semi-final clash, narrowly losing out to the 17-year-old Russian in three sets.

Traveling to the United States, Rybakina began to struggle for form, losing to Andreeva once more in Indian Wells before suffering a shock exit in her opening match at the Miami Open.

She does, however, remain ranked in the top eight of the WTA race, as she looks to book her spot in the WTA Finals for the third year running.

She could yet fall down the rankings, as her rivals travel to Germany for the Stuttgart Open, a tournament defending champion Rybakina won’t appear at in 2025.

Instead, Rybakina will return to action at the Madrid Open on April 21, searching for a big win in the Spanish capital.