Credit: X
The Serbian world number one men’s singles player, Novak Djokovic, has parted ways with coach Goran Ivanisevic in an announcement on his official Instagram account. The 36-year-old remarked that he and Goran Ivanisevic “decided to stop working together a few days ago,” before thanking him for everything they achieved together during their illustrious player-coach tenure.
Notably, Goran Ivanisevic, who has been a former Wimbledon champion since two decades ago, became the main coach of Novak Djokovic in March of 2022. He has also worked with the Serbian since 2018 alongside the long-time mentor Marian Vajda, propelling him to superstardom in the world of sport in the last few years.
But, after a disappointing start to the 2024 campaign, which saw Novak Djokovic lose to world number 23 Luka Nardi at Indian Wells, he took the big call of splitting with Goran Ivanisevic.
In this detailed statement on Instagram, Novak Djokovic said, “I remember clearly the moment I invited Goran to be part of my team. It was back in 2018, and Marian and I were looking to innovate and bring some serve magic to our duo. In fact, not only we brought serve, but also lots of laughter, fun, year-end no1 rankings, record-breaking achievements and 12 more Grand Slams (and a few finals) to the count since then. Did I mention a bit of drama too?”
“Goran and I decided to stop working together a few days ago. Our on-court chemistry had its ups and downs, but our friendship was always rock solid. In fact, I am proud to say (not sure he is) that apart from winning tournaments together, we also had a side battle in Parchisi going on… for many years. And - that tournament never stops for us. Šefinjo, thanks for everything, my friend. Love you,” he added.
Novak Djokovic had withdrawn his name from the ongoing Miami Open, speaking about his need to balance the “private and professional schedule.”