No Stefano Vukov for Elena Rybakina but Goran Ivanisevic makes his debut in Australian Open player's box amid uncertain future

Elena Rybakina's new coach Goran Ivanisevic made his debut appearance in the Kazakh player's box during her dominant first-round victory at the 2025 Australian Open. The seasoned Croatian coach's debut came amidst a backdrop of coaching uncertainty that has kept fans and analysts on their toes.

In August 2024, Rybakina made the bold decision to end her five-year collaboration with Stefano Vukov. Vukov, who had played a significant role in Rybakina's ascent in the tennis world, was subsequently embroiled in controversy.

On January 2, 2025, The Athletic reported that Vukov had been provisionally banned from coaching by the WTA, owing to an ongoing investigation into potential violations of the tour's Code of Conduct. This left Rybakina without a coach at a critical juncture in her career.

However, in November 2024, Rybakina made headlines again by announcing her new coaching arrangement with Goran Ivanisevic. Known for his successful tenure with tennis legend Novak Djokovic, Ivanisevic joined Rybakina's team during preseason training in Dubai and accompanied her to the 2025 United Cup in Australia.

Interestingly, the coaching drama took another twist when Rybakina revealed earlier this month that she had rehired Stefano Vukov. While the specifics of Vukov's role remain shrouded in mystery, this unexpected turn of events has added an intriguing layer to Rybakina's 2025 season.

Amid an uncertain future, Ivanisevic recently made his debut in Rybakina's player's box during the Kazakh's first-round victory against local player Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-1 in Melbourne.

Checkout the picture here:

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Elena Rybakina's new coach Goran Ivanisevic discusses Stefano Vukov's comeback amid WTA suspension

In Picture: Goran Ivanisevic at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships (Image source: Getty)

Elena Rybakina's coach Goran Ivanisevic addressed the situation surrounding Stefano Vukov's return to the Kazakh player's team amid the WTA's provisional ban.

When questioned about the situation, Ivanisevic neither confirmed nor denied the statement.

"Listen, the investigation is still on, so we wait for WTA to finish, and then I can talk about everything," Ivanisevic said to Ben Rothenberg's Bounces. "But until then… I spoke to Elena; I told her what I think."

"Listen, I don't want to…—heh. It's a very strange situation. So I don't want to, really. I can talk to you after WTA makes the decision, and then we can," he added.

Elena Rybakina has advanced to the Australian Open second round for the sixth time, where she will take on Iva Jovic on January 16. The winner of this match will take on either Danka Kovinic or 32nd seed Dayana Yastremska in the third round.