“Love you”, “bit of drama”
Record champion Djokovic undertakes the most difficult separation in tennis
March 27, 2024, 1:30 p.m
After twelve joint Grand Slam titles, Novak Djokovic is separating from successful coach Goran Ivanisevic – and saying goodbye to him with warm words, even though there were “ups and downs” with the coach. The record champion has to reposition himself because things haven’t been going well so far this year.
Twelve Grand Slam titles, a “solid friendship” and countless battles in the board game Pachisi: Novak Djokovic and his long-time successful coach Goran Ivanisevic have experienced a lot together on and off the tennis court, and there was also “a bit of drama”. Now the collaboration ends, the world number one separates from his coach – and says goodbye to him with warm words.
“Thank you for everything, my friend. Love you,” Djokovic wrote on an Instagram post in which he is playing the “Don’t be angry” variation in a picture together with Ivanisevic. The Croatian has been part of the superstar’s coaching team since 2018; Ivanisevic sat in the box of the major record champion for four Australian Open, four Wimbledon, two French Open and two US Open triumphs. Now the “Djoker” wants to reposition itself.
“Goran and I decided to end our collaboration a few days ago. Our chemistry on the court had its ups and downs, but our friendship was always rock solid,” wrote Djokovic, for whom things are not going well in 2024.
In January in Melbourne, the Grand Slam record winner was eliminated in the semi-finals at the Australian Open, and at the Masters in Indian Wells he surprisingly failed in the third round due to world number 123. Luca Nardi from Italy. He subsequently skipped the Masters in Miami and justified his cancellation by saying he had to “balance his private and professional plans.” Apparently a change of coach is also part of these plans.
Boris Becker also looked interested at the surprising news. The German icon has been without a coaching job since separating from the young Danish star Holger Rune; between 2013 and 2016 he worked very successfully with Djokovic. Both continue to have a close relationship. But it is not yet known whether there is a chance of reunification.