Doubts grow around Rybakina: Could Ivanisevic say goodbye?

Carlos Navarro | 7 Jan 2025 | 14.22

Goran Ivanisevic. Source: Getty

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In Elena Rybakina's team, things remain quite unsettled. There seems to be no peace surrounding the Kazakh player, all stemming from a controversial decision that shook the foundations of the women's circuit: just a few days ago, Elena announced Stefano Vukov's return to her team, with whom she had been working for over six years. All of this, of course, after completely revamping her surroundings and signing Goran Ivanisevic as her head coach for 2025.

The news caused a tremendous uproar for several reasons. Firstly, the reinstatement of someone who was the head coach to a ship that seemingly had a new general captain. Secondly, and most importantly, due to the toxic relationship between Rybakina and Vukov, with rumors of verbal abuse and insults from Stefano towards his pupil, along with highly questionable behaviors, some of which were public and others that have yet to surface.

When Rybakina announced her split from Vukov, the public saw it as a fresh start, a way out of a vicious cycle that was ensnaring the Kazakh player. Therefore, Stefano's return caught everyone off guard. Rybakina's staunch defense, stating she had never been mistreated, contrasts with the actions taken by the WTA, which confirmed in recent days that they are continuing to investigate Vukov for these abuses, and that he is currently provisionally suspended pending the official resolution of the investigation.

AND WHAT DOES GORAN SAY?

With Vukov content, Rybakina satisfied, and the WTA doing its job, we now needed to hear from a key player in this story. That player is none other than Goran Ivanisevic, initially reluctant to share the coaching role and, above all, caught in the middle of a story that has been dragging on for too long. Ben Rothenberg, for his outlet Bounces, managed to have a brief chat with the Croatian from Melbourne... and the message he conveyed was certainly anything but reassuring.

"The investigation is ongoing, so we must wait for the WTA to conclude it, and then I can speak about everything," Goran stated, caught completely off guard by Vukov's return. "Until that moment... I have already spoken with Elena and told her what I think," Ivanisevic remarked. These words, of course, lead to all kinds of speculation: is there a chance that his partnership with the Kazakh will break? Could Vukov be the piece that shatters this new tandem?

"For now, I am here. What will happen in a few days is something I don't know, but at the moment I am here. Hopefully, I can stay, and hopefully, everything is fine. Let's take it day by day. I don't want to... it's a very strange situation. I can say more after the WTA makes a decision, then we can talk," Goran affirmed, also expressing hope that the investigation will conclude "by the end of this week," although there is no confirmed date.

"I just want to wait for the WTA, I think it's fair. Once they finish, we'll see what happens. I don't want to think too far into the future. Let's start with today, Tuesday," Goran concluded, leaving many uncertainties about his future within the Kazakh player's team. Meanwhile, Elena trained at the Rod Laver alongside Emma Raducanu under the watchful eye of Novak Djokovic's former coach. Is Goran's continuity hanging by a thread? Will there be more chapters in an already extensive saga? The upcoming days will be crucial in revealing the final outcome.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Las dudas crecen en torno a Rybakina: ¿podría Ivanisevic decir adiós?