Elena Rybakina sure to be real threat in 2025 after shock coaching hire

Elena Rybakina has had a fairly rough 2024. She withdrew or retired from double-digit tournaments, seemingly dealing with as much mental fatigue as physical injury. She likely needed a longer break than the tennis season allows. She had mini-breaks due to the withdrawals, but that isn't the same as actual rest.

A lot of the stress Rybakina was dealing with was due to the years of verbal abuse she likely endured under former coach Stefano Vukov. She parted with Vukov this summer, but scars can remain. She did not hire another full-time coach right away but last week, that changed.

She made the brilliant move of hiring former Novak Djokovic coach, Goran Ivanisevic. Ivanisevic and Djokovic won nine Grand Slams together, and Ivanisevic helped the Serb maintain a kind of excellence well into his 30s that few players have ever seen. The hire by Rybakina of Ivanisevic won't just help currently but should pay dividends for many years to come.

Goran Ivanisevic will certainly make Elena Rybakina a better player

Rybakina and Ivanisevic might be the perfect pairing too. Her elite skills include her serve. Ivanisevic was able to help Djokovic improve his, but the coach might be able to get Rybakina to perfect hers. If that happens, on faster courts, such as the ones at Wimbledon, the Australian Open, and the US Open, the Kazakh player might become almost unbeatable.

This is the case because not only will Ivanisevic improve her best skills, but he also certainly won't be hurling verbal abuse at her during matches the way Vukov did. In fact, Vukov and Rybakina working together for five years might mean Rybakina needs several months to realize how much better she will have it under Ivanisevic.

Beginning in 2025, and possibly as soon as the Australian Open, Rybakina could find her greatest run of success on the WTA tour. She might have a ways to go to win the French Open, but she should be a real threat to win the other three majors. She is currently No. 5 on the WTA tour, but she is truly a top-three player. She probably will have a chance to get back to that level next year.

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