PAM SHRIVER LEAVES DONNA VEKIĆ'S TEAM, CITING 'CHALLENGING YEAR' AMID LA STRUGGLES

Pam Shriver sat next to Donna Vekić's coach, Sascha Bajin, at Indian Wells. (Getty/Matthew Stockman)

Former world No.3 Pam Shriver has made the difficult choice to remove herself from world No.22 Donna Vekic's team, as a result of devastating scenes in Los Angeles.

At the Australian Open earlier this year, Shriver didn't travel with Vekić following intense wildfires spreading through parts of LA, including her Brentwood home, where she was forced to flee.

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Although she escaped unharmed, Shriver's car, which contained 11 of her Grand Slam doubles trophies and other valuables, was reported stolen during the evacuation process, before they were recovered in the next fortnight.

Shriver, 62, confirmed the end of her working relationship with Vekić on X, revealing it was "one of the best experiences" of her tennis career.

The duo unexpectedly joined forces after Shriver happened to watch one of Vekić's matches at the 2022 San Diego Open, with the Croatian failing to hesitate to hire the experienced tennis mind as a mentor after receiving advice.

They achieved significant results along the way, ranging from a silver medal at the Paris Olympics to a semi-final appearance at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships.

Vekić hired Naomi Osaka's former coach, Sascha Bajin, as her new coach for the beginning of the 2025 season.

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