Elena Rybakina will work with Novak Djokovic’s ex-coach and former world No 2 Goran Ivanisevic from the start of the 2025 season.

World No 5 Rybakina has been without a coach since the summer when she unexpectedly split with Stefano Vukov, her coach of five years.

Under the guidance of Vukov, the Kazakh won Wimbledon in 2022, reached the 2023 Australian Open final, and climbed to a career-high ranking of world No 3 last season.

However, her partnership with Vukov regularly attracted criticism, and speculation has lingered over the manner of their surprise split in recent months.

However, speaking in Riyadh, she stated the pair had parted on good terms.

She said: “I know that a lot of I guess rumors going on. But honestly we just parted ways with Stefano.

“I think we had incredible results over five years. We achieved a lot. I started with him when I was 200. I think it’s just now next chapter of my career. I want to make next step.”

Rybakina has not played since withdrawing midway through the US Open and has struggled with repeated injury and illness struggles across 2024, though will be in WTA Finals action this week.

It is thought that the 25-year-old will be working with Kazakh national coach Lovro Zovko in Riyadh, though it has now been confirmed that Ivanisevic will join her team ahead of 2025.

Much like Rybakina, Ivanisevic is a former Wimbledon champion, winning the men’s singles title in 2001 after three previous final losses.

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Since his retirement, the 53-year-old has embarked on a hugely successful coaching career.

Ivanisevic guided compatriot Marin Cilic to the 2014 US Open title and also worked with Tomas Berdych and Milos Raonic, though is best known for his work with Djokovic.

Under Ivanisevic’s guidance, Djokovic won nine of his 24 Grand Slam singles titles, alongside two ATP Finals titles and seven Masters 1000 titles.

Having started working together in 2019, Djokovic announced that his partnership with Ivanisevic had come to an end following a disappointing start to the 2024 season.

Before starting work with Ivanisevic, Rybakina will play at the year-end championships in Riyadh before potentially representing Kazakhstan at the Billie Jean King Cup.

The Kazakh has been drawn with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, and two-time major finalist Jasmine Paolini in a tough WTA Finals group.

Should she play at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in mid-November, she would be Kazakhstan’s No 1 player, with the nation preparing for a play-off against South Korea.

Despite her physical struggles Rybakina still heads into the WTA Finals having won titles in Brisbane, Abu Dhabi, and Stuttgart in the first half of the year.

She also reached WTA 1000 finals in Doha and Miami, alongside reaching the last eight of the French Open and semi-finals of Wimbledon.