3 reasons why Elena Rybakina hiring Goran Ivanisevic could be a good move for the struggling ex-Wimbledon champ
Elena Rybakina has brought on board Goran Ivanisevic as her new coach in a recent development. They will start working together in the offseason. She parted ways with her coach of over five years, Stefano Vukov, a few days before the start of the US Open. She then pulled out of the season's final Major before her second-round match due to an injury.
That wasn't the first time Rybakina's health issues have forced her to abandon her campaign at a tournament this year. She had to miss quite a few tournaments due to her ill health but has still made the cut for the WTA Finals for the second year in a row. However, her absence has allowed some of her contemporaries to surpass her in the rankings, and others to catch up.
Ivanisevic is a former Wimbledon champion, just like Rybakina, and coached Novak Djokovic for nearly five years until their split in March this year. The Croat has a proven track record as a player and a coach, and adding him to her team could prove to be a game-changer for the young Kazakh. There are a few reasons why the pairing could be a great success.
#1 - Goran Ivanisevic could further cement Elena Rybakina's status as the leading player of her generation on grass
Elena Rybakina is the only woman to have made the second week of Wimbledon in every edition of the tournament this decade. She advanced to the fourth round in 2021, won the title in 2022, reached the quarterfinals in 2023, and bowed out in the semifinals this year.
Rybakina's consistency at the All England Club is reminiscent of Goran Ivanisevic's track record. While she has laid her hands on the winner's trophy, he faltered at the final hurdle thrice before finally claiming the title in 2001. She currently has an 86 percent winning rate at the venue, while he finished his career with a 78 percent success rate.
Very few players on the women's tour have a track record comparable to Rybakina at Wimbledon. Aryna Sabalenka has two semifinal finishes, while Ons Jabeur has been a two-time runner-up. With the competition on the surface not being as intense compared to clay and hardcourts, she has an opportunity to leapfrog her peers.
With Ivanisevic in her corner, Rybakina could rely on his expertise to make Wimbledon her turf. Iga Swiatek has marked the French Open as her territory, and Sabalenka is on track to do the same at the Australian Open. Rybakina could follow in her rivals' footsteps at the grass court Major.
#2 - Goran Ivanisevic's prior experience with other top players could give Elena Rybakina an edge as well
Goran Ivanisevic played a huge part in Novak Djokovic's success in the third act of his career. After he joined the Serb's team in 2019, he led him to 30 titles, nine of which came at the Majors. While the Serb is in a league of his own, his coach's contributions cannot be denied.
Ivanisevic also guided his compatriot Marin Cilic to his first and only Major title, at the 2024 US Open. They started working together in 2013, and Cilic became a Major winner the following year. They parted ways after the conclusion of Wimbledon 2016. A few weeks later, he started working with Tomas Berdych, another top-10 mainstay of that time.
Their collaboration lasted for a year, after which Ivanisevic joined hands with Milos Raonic. His tenure as the Canadian's coach also lasted for about a year. Having worked with some of the most well-known names of the past decade, Ivanisevic's wealth of experience is another factor that could benefit Rybakina in the long run.
#3 - Goran Ivanisevic could transform Elena Rybakina into the best server on the women's tour
Ivanisevic was among the most prolific servers of his time. He only trailed Pete Sampras for the better part of the 1990s with regards to success on the back of their serves. Rybakina finds herself in a similar position at this point in her career and has been on the top of service stats lists.
Djokovic's serve improved quite a bit once he started working with Ivanisevic. With Rybakina already having one of the best serves on the tour, even some minor adjustments could yield a positive outcome, and make her truly unstoppable.
A good and reliable serve eases the pressure on players. If Ivanisevic is able to weave his magic and transform Rybakina's serve, then it is only a matter of time before she starts racking up big titles once again.