To the already strange start to the season, Novak Djokovic added a twist this Wednesday that raises suspicions. The number one, 36, announced that he will dispense with Goran Ivanisevic as coach. “We decided to stop working together a few days ago. Our chemistry on the court had its ups and downs, but our friendship was always rock solid. In fact, I am proud to say that in addition to winning tournaments with it, we have had a parallel battle in Parcheesi for many years. And that tournament never stops for us,” the Balkan player transmitted through his social networks, in a move that took many by surprise, but that is ultimately an extension of the strategy he undertook two years ago. when he began to replace the parts of his meccano.
Then, Nole separated himself from the most influential coach of his career. Marian Vajda, a kind of sports father. “Although he will leave the team, he will always be family,” he explained then. A few months later, at the end of 2022, the tennis player confirmed the departure of Ulises Badio, the “magic hands” that returned him to the top when he had lost his way, and also his appetite. The physiotherapist who stuck Chinese needles into him and to whom he entrusted his haircut, one of his confidants, headed for the same exit door that Edoardo Artaldi and Elena Cappellaro, the couple who directed the entire economic plan, passed through in September of last year. and media of the champion of 24 majors. Now the one who comes out is Ivanisevic, the big guy who broke the ball on the serve and distinguished as the champion with the ranking lowest at Wimbledon, in 2001, when he was 125th in the world.
Although no disagreement has emerged from the outside, the erosion had become palpable in recent times. After the Serbian won the 2023 Australian Open, the coach expressed that coaching him was something like “coaching Real Madrid,” because “you need to have the pressure” and “if you don't win one or two games, they fire you.” Later, in June, Nole's success at Roland Garros was accompanied by statements in which Ivanisevic stated: “Novak is not an easy guy, let's put it that way. But that's what we're here for, to put our backs and take hits. So that he feels and performs better. Sometimes it's not easy; In fact, it's complicated. He tortures us, he pulls out our nails; “Many more things, I can't tell you… But we are still here, we are still alive,” he joked then, when asked about how he digested the moments in which Djokovic turned his face towards the bench and, fired up, pointed at him with the shouts.
It was in Turin, however, where the Croatian gave a speech to journalists that clearly described the particular functioning of the “genius.” There, in November, after losing in the second match of the group stage against Jannik Sinner and being on the brink of elimination, Djokovic disappeared from the scene. And his coach told it: “Tuesday night ended late. And on Wednesday we didn't see him all day. We didn't know what was happening until Thursday; “We were in the locker room and we didn't know if we would have to go home or warm up because he would play against Hurkacz,” he indicated; “But who am I to get angry with him? He is the best in history. He only makes me angry when he yells at us for no reason. He is number one and he always wants more.”
Vajda, Becker and Agassi
From there, according to reports from the Serbian press, everything became complicated. In Melbourne the wear and tear continued and the recent visit to Indian Wells marked the final goodbye. Something broke. After the discreet time in Australia, where he reached the semifinals, Djokovic suffered one of the most inexplicable defeats of his career in California—against Luca Nardi, 18 years old, 123rd in the world and less than a dozen matches in the elite—and immediately afterwards he resigned from competing in Miami. Despite everything, he stayed there with his wife and his children to reflect, taking walks on the beach and analyzing. Consequently, another momentous decision. He comes from Ivanisevic's team, whom he brought in at the end of 2019 as a complement to Vajda, with the aim of perfecting his serve. The Croatian took over from the Slovenian in 2022 and his arrival marked the beginning of a lifting which was pronounced at the end of last year, when Carlos Gómez Herrera from Marbella, until then a friend and companion, took the reins and became his agent.
Djokovic has won 12 major titles alongside his comrade: four Australian Opens, two Roland Garros, four Wimbledons and two US Opens. Together they have also won ten Masters 1000 and two Masters Cup titles. However, the king of the circuit considers that his current reality requires another stimulus that allows him to face the challenge of the last generation, with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the helm. They both discuss his power, they have both beaten him and in some way they have collaborated in this latest turn. “With the [Ivanisevic], we not only managed to bring some magic to the service, but also a lot of laughter, fun and records. Did I also mention a little drama? We had ups and downs, but our friendship will always be solid,” the tennis player said in yesterday's statement.
Now, the unknown lies in who will undertake the challenge of improving what is difficult to improve. That is, to revive the game of a phenomenon who, after taking a break from his long experience with Vajda, allied himself for a couple of years with the German Boris Becker, in a prolific duo—six majors between 2014 and the end of 2016—which was deactivated when the Serb mentally went into a tailspin. Then he turned to the American Andre Agassi, but the connection was temporary because, apparently, the two did not fit together. Undoubtedly, the maneuver also responds to the search for a mental incentive. Close to turning 37—he will do so on May 22—Nole says he wants to invest more time with his family and selects his calendar more than ever to preserve his physical appearance as much as possible. According to the media Sport Clubthis week he was seen on the slopes of a wooded area of Belgrade alongside Nenad Zimonjić, a renowned doubles player with whom he shares a close friendship, retired since 2021.
“There is a part of me that is a fierce competitor, but at the same time, I am trying to enjoy myself more off the track. Maybe I have been somewhat robotic,” he expressed in Indian Wells. He now concentrates his preparation on the dirt tour, where Goran, the good fitter, will no longer be there.
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