INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – As Tennis.Life mentioned on Twitter a few days ago, it appears the association between Jelena Ostapenko and coach Marion Bartoli is already history.
Bartoli worked with Ostapenko during a couple of indoor tournaments in Europe at the end of the 2019 season. And the collaboration carried over the off-season and into 2020.
But after the Australian Open, it doesn’t appear to have carried on.
At Indian Wells Saturday, Ostapenko was hitting with a Moldovan former player and coach named Andrei Gorban.
Gorban, 36, has worked with Ostapenko before, notably for a week of training in Latvia in July 2017.
A quick Google search associates him in a coaching capacity with Alexey Vatutin of Russia. He also is close friends with Ukrainian player Alexandr Dolgopolov.
As a player, Gorban reached No. 343 in singles, mostly at the lower levels. His career record at the ATP Tour level is 3-5. He played his last matches on the Futures circuit in 2012.
But he distinguished himself for the Moldovan Davis Cup team. Gorban was nominated for 34 ties between 2000 and 2014.