Elena Rybakina's new coach Goran Ivanisevic wants her to make one big personality change

Elena Rybakina's new coach Goran Ivanisevic is set to debut his transformative training methods at the 2025 United Cup. Ivanisevic has been focusing on enhancing Rybakina's net play and encouraging her to show more emotion on the court.

The decision to team up with Ivanisevic came after Rybakina ended her long-term collaboration with coach Stefano Vukov just before the 2024 US Open. Seeking a fresh perspective, Rybakina turned to Ivanisevic, a coach renowned for his successful tenure with Novak Djokovic.

They began their collaboration with an intensive training session in Dubai, where Ivanisevic aimed to fine-tune Rybakina's game ahead of the World Tennis League exhibition event. With the Australian Open fast approaching, all eyes are on how the new coach-player dynamic will unfold, especially with the United Cup serving as their first official tournament together.

During a Tennis Channel broadcast of the United Cup, Ivanisevic revealed some key elements of their work together. One major focus has been Rybakina's net play.

While the Kazakh has a powerful game from the baseline, Ivanisevic believes she has the potential to finish points earlier and more efficiently at the net.

"We worked a couple weeks in Dubai. A little bit on the serve. Trying to push her to come to the net more. She has a big game and can finish the point much earlier than she was usually doing. It's a process. She needs to put in her head that she can play more aggressively, come to the net, and finish some points with the volleys," Ivanisevic said.

Beyond the technical side of things, Ivanisevic is also pushing Rybakina to tap into her emotional side, encouraging her to express herself more on the court.

"Definitely not going to see her breaking racquets but hopefully she does show more emotion. She's a very different person and very calm. But l've been trying to put some emotion and I think it's going to help her game," he added.

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Elena Rybakina shares her thoughts on partnering with Goran Ivanisevic

Elena Rybakina during the 2022 Wimbledon Championships (Image source: Getty)

At her pre-tournament press conference for the United Cup, Elena Rybakina shared her first impressions of working with her new coach Goran Ivanisevic.

The Kazakh tennis star confirmed their sessions had gone well, describing him as a "fun guy," but refrained from giving many details.

"We had a couple of weeks together, Goran’s a fun guy. I can’t say too much about our work, but we had a good preparation," Elena Rybakina said.

Although their partnership is still new, Rybakina noted she had already gained valuable insights from Ivanisevic and expressed optimism about her improved physical condition after struggling with injuries most of this season.

"Not much time has passed but I’m already getting experience from him, especially as a player, how he used to prepare. I’m learning every day, I’m feeling much better physically and hopefully we can do well here," she added.

Elena Rybakina secured a strong win in her United Cup debut, beating Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-2, 6-3 to level the tie 1-1 after her teammate Alexander Shevchenko fell to Pablo Carreno Busta in the opening singles match. Rybakina and Shevchenko will now team up for the decisive doubles match against Yvonne Cavalle Reimers and Sergio Martos Gornes.