Novak Djokovic has disclosed that he has ended his coaching relationship with Goran Ivanisevic. The alliance was extremely beneficial, with Djokovic experiencing the peak epoch of his career during his early to mid-thirties.
Ivanisevic took over as the principal coach of the Serbian tennis star in March 2022, after having collaborated with Djokovic’s enduring guide, Marian Vajda, for a number of years.
The world’s top-ranked player indicated that his separation with Ivanisevic occurred “a few days ago”, detailing in an Instagram post: “The time when I proposed Goran to be a member of my crew is still vivid in my memory. It happened in 2018, and Marian and myself were keen to infuse some serve sparkle into our pair.
“Indeed, we not only introduced serve, but also loads of joy, entertainment, year end no1 rankings, record-shattering achievements and an extra 12 Grand Slams (and some finals) added to the tally since that time. Did I bring up a dash of drama too?
“A few days ago, Goran and I chose to cease our joint venture. Our court interplay had its highs and lows, but our camaraderie always remained unshakeable.
“As it turns out, I am content to reveal (not certain if he shares the sentiment) that besides clinching tournaments jointly, we also regularly locked horns in a game of Parchisi … spanning many years. And – for us, that contest never ceases. Thank you for everything, my friend. Love you.”
Djokovic enjoyed one of his most successful seasons in 2023, capturing three Grand Slam trophies and narrowly missing a fourth in a gripping Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz. However, this report surfaces during a period of doubt for the 36-year-old, who also recently separated from his trusty representatives.
He tasted his first Australian Open defeat since 2018 at the hands of Jannik Sinner and then faced an unexpected setback against Italian Luigi Nardi at Indian Wells earlier this month. Subsequently, he decided to skip the Miami Open.
Ivanisevic was always upfront about the difficulties of coaching Djokovic, remarking after the French Open final last year: “He’s not a straightforward individual, to put it mildly. Particularly when things aren’t going his way.
“He instills constant stress, with the stress level forever elevated. It never abates. However, each day imparts a new lesson.”
Djokovic is working to regain his momentum on the European clay, as the Serbian is just a single Grand Slam championship short of surpassing Margaret Court’s record of 24 and securing his place as the most accomplished singles player in history.