"Wow…didn’t see this one coming": Boris Becker reacts to Elena Rybakina hiring ex-coach of Novak Djokovic

Former world number one Boris Becker believes that Elena Rybakina will benefit from working with Goran Ivanisevic. The reigning world number five has recently appointed the former Wimbledon winner as her new coach ahead of the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

Becker, in a post on his official account on the social media platform X — previously known as Twitter — commented about the development and stated that he did not see that coming. The former world number one also went on to state that Rybakina will going to be benefitted with the presence the one-time Grand Slam winner, especially in the service department. “Wow…didn’t see this one coming but lots of luck to my old nemesis on the court and good buddy now! We don’t have to worry about holding serve with this partnership,” he wrote.

Ivanisevic has had a very successful time as a coach. He worked with the former world number one Novak Djokovic for six years where the two went on to achive numerous impressive results on the court. His time with the Serbia’s legendary tennis star came to an end earlier this year. On the other hand, Rybakina parted ways with her former coach in the recent past as well. The world number five has also struggled with fitness concerns this year but still managed to book her spot in the WTA Finals.

The mega-event, which is the last big event in the women’s tennis calendar, is set to be organised for the first time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. World number two Poland’s Iga Swiatek will be defending her title in the competition. She defeated America’s Jessica Pegula in the final in straight sets last year with a score of 6-1, 6-0. Rybakina will begin her journey in the competition on Saturday with the match against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini.