"Something hasn't worked for Elena Rybakina.. It can be great": Daniela Hantuchova excited for Kazakh's new partnership with Novak Djokovic's ex-coach
Elena Rybakina turned heads with her decision to hire Croat tennis legend Goran Ivanisevic as her new head coach. The decision drew plaudits from across the tennis world, and former WTA World No. 5 Daniela Hantuchova was the most recent to praise the new partnership.
Rybakina parted ways with her longtime coach, Stefano Vukov, after five years together, just days before the 2024 US Open. While their partnership was often rocked with controversy, Vukov helped Rybakina win her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2022 and reach the top 3 of the WTA rankings.
Just ahead of the 2024 WTA Finals, Elena Rybakina announced that she had hired former Wimbledon champion and ex-Novak Djokovic coach Goran Ivanisevic as her new head coach. Tennis fans and pundits were pleased to see Rybakina team up with a tennis veteran like Ivanisevic as her new coach.
Former Slovak tennis star Daniela Hantuchova recently expressed excitement about the prospect of Rybakina and Ivanisevic working together during a segment on Sky Sports Tennis. Hantuchova even joked about Ivanisevic coming to Slovakia's capital, Bratislava, where Rybakina currently lives, and getting a hitting session with the Kazakh.
"Well, super excited because I'm guessing Goran will be in Bratislava anytime soon because she lives in Bratislava and now like 10 minutes away from me. So I'm hoping I'm gonna get some extra hit. I have no idea where they're gonna do the preseason, but I think it's great news," Hantuchova said.
Hantuchova applauded Ivanisevic as a great coach who could help Rybakina realize the full potential of her biggest weapon, the serve. Rybakina is among the most lethal servers in women's tennis and has hit the second most aces on tour this year (336). Ivanisevic was a huge server back in his playing days and could help Rybakina make her serve even more unplayable.
"We all know Goran is a great, great coach, obviously a lot of experience and Rybakina is a very aggressive player. She needs to use her serve well. Something has not really worked well for her this tournament, so I think it can only be a great addition," the Slovak continued.
Elena Rybakina and Goran Ivanisevic to begin working together during off-season ahead of 2025 tour
Elena Rybakina and Goran Ivanisevic will hit the ground running after the 2024 WTA Finals and during the off-season ahead of the 2025 WTA Tour. The Kazakh bowed out of the WTA Finals in group stages after losing to Zheng Qinwen and Jasmine Paolini. She ended her season on a high note after beating World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in her final group stage match in Riyadh.
Rybakina will be Goran Ivanisevic's first WTA assignment. In a recent interview, the Croat revealed that he had several offers from players on both tours before deciding to go with Elena Rybakina due to her high potential. Ivanisevic appeared enthusiastic about the partnership and couldn't wait to start things.
"There were some other offers (Ivanisevic had multiple offers from top players both on WTA and ATP), but I think I chose the right one for me – because of Elena’s playing style and potential, but also because of her personality. Elena is calm and I can’t wait to get going. I think it’s going to be great," Ivanisevic told Tennis Majors.
Goran Ivanisevic rose as high as World No. 2 during his playing days and his only Grand Slam title as a wildcard entrant came at the 2001 Wimbledon Championships. The 53-year-old worked with Djokovic from 2019 to early 2024 and guided him to nine Grand Slams. In addition, he also helped Marin Cilic win his only Major to date at the 2014 US Open.