“Who knows where it will end? He still moves like a ninja”, admires his coach Goran Ivanisevic, after the historic 23rd Grand Slam title won by Novak Djokovic at Roland-Garros on Sunday, aged 36. The Serb meanwhile assured that he wanted to “continue to write the history” of tennis by going to win other titles in the months to come.
Journalist : In what state of mind was he when you arrived in Paris?
Goran Ivanisevic “He didn’t arrive with extraordinary self-confidence or physical condition. But I wasn’t worried. I said it in Monte-Carlo, these tournaments don’t count. Neither Monte-Carlo nor Rome, nor any. The only one that mattered was that one (Roland-Garros). He is programmed in such a way, in his head, that he is able to change his state of mind in one click when he arrives in a Grand Slam tournament. These Grand Slam tournaments are not the same sport as other tournaments. He is changing software. The day we arrived, suddenly he felt better, he was more motivated, he had hungrier. Every day he was playing better and better. I think against Alcaraz he played for an hour and a half with incredible intelligence and level. And today in the final he finished what we started in training in Monte-Carlo… It’s pay day and we’re getting the jackpot.”
Journalist : How did you get through the fortnight?
Goran Ivanisevic : “He tied us with handcuffs for three days… (smile) He’s not an easy person, let’s put it like that, especially when things don’t go his way. But that’s what we’re here for… is there to make him feel better, to perform better. Sometimes it’s very complicated. But it’s for these tournaments, these outcomes that we live. It has not been an easy journey, since Monte-Carlo, Banja Luka… It was a little better in Rome but he was still far from his form. He tortured us, but we are still here, still alive…”
Journalist : How far do you see it going and is the calendar Grand Slam becoming a goal again?
Goran Ivanisevic : “Now he has 23 Grand Slam titles, and it’s not over. He went to a (calendar Grand Slam) victory two years ago, he has a chance this year, it’s still a long way off , but the Grand Slams are our goals. I think he still has a lot in the engine. I don’t know how much time he has left, but his body is amazing, he keeps himself in great shape. He doesn’t He’s not hurt too badly, little things here and there, but no major injuries. He’s still moving like a ninja on the court, he’s everywhere. It’s fascinating to watch. You say to yourself, ok, he has 23 now, but he will find the motivation to win 24, maybe 25. Who knows where it will end?