AlUla Seeks to Enhance its Presence as Leading Destination for Competitive Sports

The MoU with STF will include the establishment of AlUla Tennis Academy. Asharq Al-Awsat
The MoU with STF will include the establishment of AlUla Tennis Academy. Asharq Al-Awsat
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AlUla Seeks to Enhance its Presence as Leading Destination for Competitive Sports

The MoU with STF will include the establishment of AlUla Tennis Academy. Asharq Al-Awsat
The MoU with STF will include the establishment of AlUla Tennis Academy. Asharq Al-Awsat

The Royal Commission for AlUla has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) to collaborate on tennis initiatives and competitions to promote the sports sector in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla.

The move aims at enhancing AlUla's presence as a leading destination for competitive sports.

The MoU with STF will include the establishment of AlUla Tennis Academy, attracting continental and international tournaments, qualitative initiatives and sharing experiences and competencies.



Goran Ivanisevic Says He No Longer Will Be Coaching Elena Rybakina After the Australian Open 

Goran Ivanisevic watches the men's singles semifinal match between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Serbia's Novak Djokovic on day twelve of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 14, 2023. (AP)
Goran Ivanisevic watches the men's singles semifinal match between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Serbia's Novak Djokovic on day twelve of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 14, 2023. (AP)
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Goran Ivanisevic Says He No Longer Will Be Coaching Elena Rybakina After the Australian Open 

Goran Ivanisevic watches the men's singles semifinal match between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Serbia's Novak Djokovic on day twelve of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 14, 2023. (AP)
Goran Ivanisevic watches the men's singles semifinal match between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Serbia's Novak Djokovic on day twelve of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 14, 2023. (AP)

Goran Ivanisevic's brief stint as 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina's coach is over now that she is out of the Australian Open.

Ivanisevic, a Wimbledon winner himself in 2001, posted a brief statement on social media Tuesday, saying: “After our trial period that finished with Australian Open, I wish Elena and her team best of luck moving forward.”

The sixth-seeded Rybakina, a runner-up in Australia two years ago, was eliminated in the fourth round by Madison Keys on Monday.

Rybakina's coaching situation is complicated: She announced right before last year’s US Open that she no longer was working with her long-time coach, Stefano Vukov, and hired Ivanisevic ahead of this season.

Then, just before the Australian Open, Rybakina said Vukov would be rejoining her team — and the WTA Tour said Vukov was provisionally suspended, “pending an independent investigation into a potential breach of the WTA code of conduct.”

Ivanisevic coached Novak Djokovic to a dozen Grand Slam titles together before they split in March 2024.