World No. 5 women’s tennis player Jelena Rubakina (pictured) announced on the 1st that she has signed a contract with <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/01/novak-djokovic-the-driven-who-is-he-really/" title="Novak Djokovic, the driven: who is he really?”>Goran Ivanisevic, Novak Djokovic’s former coach. Photographed in July in London (2024 Reuters/Paul Childs)
[Reuters]- Jelena Rubakina (Kazakhstan), fifth in the women’s tennis world rankings, met on the 1st with Goran Ivanisevic, the former coach of Novak Djokovic (Serbia), who has won 24 Grand Slam titles, the most for men. announced that they had signed a contract.
Ivanisevic, who won the Wimbledon championship in 2001 when he was still active, coached Djokovic for five years before terminating his contract in March. He contributed to nine of Djokovic’s 24 Grand Slam titles. Lubakina’s coaching will begin in the preseason.
Rubakina, 25, was in good form in the first half of this year, winning tournaments in Brisbane, Abu Dhabi and Stuttgart, but has since been plagued by illness and injuries. Although he made it to the top four at Wimbledon, he withdrew from the Paris Olympics due to bronchitis, and withdrew from the US Open midway through the tournament due to back pain.
“I’m really looking forward to this partnership. He’s a great champion and has a lot of experience, so I can’t wait to get started,” Rubakina told reporters. Meanwhile, Ivanisevic expressed her enthusiasm on Instagram, saying, “I’m excited to be back on tour. This time it’s the WTA (Women’s Tour). I’m happy to be joining Lubakina’s team.”
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