MELBOURNE: Goran Ivanisevic's brief stint as 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina's coach is over now that she is out of the Australian Open.
Ivanisevic, a Wimbledon winner himself in 2001, posted a brief statement on social media Tuesday, saying: “After our trial period that finished with Australian Open, I wish Elena and her team best of luck moving forward.”
The sixth-seeded Rybakina, a runner-up in Australia two years ago, was eliminated in the fourth round by Madison Keys on Monday.
Rybakina's coaching situation is complicated: She announced right before last year’s U.S. Open that she no longer was working with her long-time coach, Stefano Vukov, and hired Ivanisevic ahead of this season.
Then, just before the Australian Open, Rybakina said Vukov would be rejoining her team — and the WTA Tour said Vukov was provisionally suspended, "pending an independent investigation into a potential breach of the WTA code of conduct.”
Ivanisevic coached Novak Djokovic to a dozen Grand Slam titles together before they split in March 2024.