By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Monday, February 3, 2025
Photo credit: Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open Facebook
Elena Rybakina launches her Abu Dhabi title defense this week with a new coach in her box.
World No. 5 Rybakina has added Italian veteran Davide Sanguinetti to her coaching staff.
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The 52-year-old Sanguinetti previously coached Dinara Safina, Vince Spadea and Brandon Nakashima.
The hiring comes a couple of weeks after Rybakina and former coach Goran Ivanisevic split after she rehired her long-time coach Stefano Vukov back to her team. Vukov was not granted a coaching credential by the WTA as he is still serving a suspension for violating the Tour’s code of conduct.
Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina has ripped the Tour for its handling of coach Vukov’s case.
“I don’t know much. It’s a situation I’m not happy with,” Rybakina told AFP. “But it is what it is but for now, I don’t know much.
“I think safeguarding is important but the case with what happened with us, I don’t think it was handled well.”
Former UCLA standout Sanguinetti famously defeated the young Roger Federer in the 2002 Milan final and went on to beat Andy Roddick in the Delray Beach Open final.
Former Wimbledon quarterfinalist Sanguinetti also owns career wins over David Nalbandian and Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
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