Elena Rybakina gets verdict on coaching decision after addressing split 'rumours'

Andy Roddick has given his verdict on 's new coaching hire.

The world No. 5 parted ways with long-time mentor Stefano Vukov ahead of the US Open and has barely played since.

She recently addressed the "rumours" surrounding their split and in the off-season.

Rybakina's decision to appoint Ivanisevic took the tennis world by surprise. The 2022 Wimbledon champion has been without a coach since she split with Vukov in August.

She played just one match at the US Open before pulling out and spent two months on the sidelines, skipping the entire Asian swing. Now back in action at this week's WTA Finals, Rybakina confirmed she had hired Ivanisevic.

The Croat previously coached Novak Djokovic for five years before they mutually agreed to split in March. Ivanisevic will start working with Rybakina properly in the off-season.

Roddick has now had his say on the latest high-profile player and coach partnership, admitting he had been "ignorant" and was stunned by the news. "I was surprised, but I shouldn't have been," the retired former world No. 1 told Tennis Channel.

"I think we have become a little narrow-minded as Goran has only worked with men, so we didn't have his name in the conversation. But if you think about it past my own ignorance, both of them are big servers who can hit all spots on the court."

Ivanisevic has also coached three other top ATP players - Tomas Berdych, Marin Cilic and Milos Raonic. He guided Cilic to his only Grand Slam title at the 2014 US Open.

And Roddick believes he has the perfect resume to help Rybakina. He continued: "Who has Goran worked with? He been with big flat hitters who like to go through the court in Cilic and Djokovic.

"And what does Rybakina need? Maybe a little levity in her box with someone that actually has a sense of humour once in a while, so this looks like an unbelievable fit.

"When you get to a certain level, you want to talk to someone who has done it before. We have seen a decade of these accomplished coaches who have won Slams in their own right, so this makes a lot of sense. It's also exciting."

It will be new territory for Rybakina, who spent five years working with Vukov before their sudden split. There was plenty of speculation surrounding their abrupt decision to call it quits, and the rumour mill went into overdrive when the Kazakh started pulling out of multiple tournaments, with Rennae Stubbs

But she addressed the theories ahead of the WTA Finals. "Well, I know that a lot of I guess rumors [have been] going on. But honestly we just part ways with Stefano," Rybakina explained.

"I think we had incredible results over five years. We achieved a lot. I started with him when I was 200. I think it's just now next chapter of my career. I want to make next step.

"But yeah, I did stop with Stefano, like as any other coaches and players do, so..."