It was an eventful year for Novak Djokovic. Although he didn’t win a major title, the Serb achieved his ultimate goal: winning an Olympic gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Additionally, he also made a major change to his coaching staff at the start of this season. Djokovic separated from his long-time coach Goran Ivanisevic in March of this year. This ended their almost five-year successful partnership, in which Djokovic celebrated great success. After their breakup, Ivanisevic took a big step towards his next coaching job, now receiving the support of Djokovic.

A few weeks ago, Ivanisevic announced that he would be working with Elena Rybakina starting from the 2025 season. Interestingly, Ivanisevic has not coached a player on the WTA Tour before Rybakina and it will be a new challenge for him. However, Rybakina is a top player and has already won a Grand Slam title. Therefore, Djokovic believes that this pairing will bear fruit over time.

During an interview at Brisbane International, Djokovic was asked for his opinion on Ivanisevic and Rybakina’s collaboration. The Serb revealed: “Well, I was really happy because we talked about – you know, we really like Rybakina, the way she plays and the way she is as a person. When Goran worked with me, we always enjoyed watching her play. So I was happy to hear the news that they were together.”

Furthermore, he added: “So I wish them all the best. You know, I texted Goran the other day. He didn’t work, I don’t think he ever worked on the WTA Tour. Maybe he hasn’t worked for a long time, but he was mainly on the ATP tour. So I asked him how it feels and stuff, and it’s a little different for him, but he’s energized to help her and hopefully we can see them win some big trophies together.”

Djokovic previously made the shocking decision to end his successful partnership with Ivanisevic in a social media post. He revealed that he had stopped working with Ivanisevic and the partnership had ups and downs. Furthermore, Ivanisevic also once admitted that it was not easy to train Djokovic. During an interview last year, Ivanisevic admitted: “He’s not an easy guy, let’s put it that way. He’s not an easy guy. Especially when something doesn’t go the way he wants it to. But we’re here to turn our backs and get beaten, you know. That’s what the team is there for.”

Nevertheless, the new partnership between Ivanisevic and Rybakina is already in full swing. The legendary coach has identified some key areas for improvement in Kazakhstan’s game.

Goran Ivanisevic’s early assessment of Elena Rybakina: ‘She’s got a big game’

After a rather quiet 2024 season, Rybakina would be full of anticipation for the 2025 season. She enjoyed an exciting off-season in Dubai under the watchful eye of her new coach Ivanisevic. While Rybakina has rarely shown signs of weakness, Djokovic’s former coach has identified some key areas of improvement for Rybakina.

During an interview at the United Cup, Ivanisevic revealed: “We worked in Dubai for a few weeks. A little bit on serve. I’m trying to get them to go online more. She has a big game and can finish the point much earlier than she normally did. It’s a process. She has to get it in her head that she can play more aggressively, get to the net and score some points with the volleys.”

In addition, Rybakina is also enjoying the new partnership. “We had a few weeks together, Goran is a funny guy. I can’t say much about our work, but we had good preparation. Not much time has passed, but I am already gaining experience with him, especially as a player, the way he used to prepare.” she said.

Meanwhile, Rybakina plays a crucial role for Kazakhstan in the United Cup, leading her country to the quarter-finals of the tournament. It will be interesting to see if she can maintain her form at the Australian Open next month.