Who is Djokovic’s new coach Nenad Zimonjic?

• Nenad Zimonjic has managed to keep a low profile in his life despite being in tennis circles
• He is the face of performance exhibited by Novak Djokovic since taking up a new role as his coach
• He is a fellow Serbian just like Djokovic

Nenad Zimonjic has managed to keep a low profile in his life despite being in the tennis circles with big names for over a decade. Now, he is the face of performance exhibited by Novak Djokovic since taking up a new role as his coach.

Djokovic sees him as more than a tennis coach. He calls him ‘an older brother’. Nenad was always a part of his coaching staff and with Goran Ivanisevic’s exit, he is the man taking the lead.  Very few people expected Djokovic to name Zimonjic as Ivanisevic’s replacement. Nevertheless, the immediate former coach has a lot of faith in Zimonjic.

WHO IS NENAD ZIMONJIC?

Nenad Zimonjic is a former Serbian professional tennis player who had a stellar career in doubles. He turned to coaching after exiting competitive tennis. He was born on June 4, 1976, in Belgrade, Serbia formerly known as Yugoslavia. He had a remarkable tennis career spanning over 20 years in which he won four Grand Slam titles and rose to the world No. 1 one in doubles.

Novak Djokovic’s new coach Nenad Zimonjic. Photo/Eurosport

Tennis fans from back in the day remember him for his remarkable doubles skills, including powerful serve, deft net play, and strategic ability. His collaborations with several doubles partners, including Daniel Nestor and Mahesh Bhupathi, were a huge success. He gave tennis his all during his heydays and lives off this today with the best tennis player in the Open Era, Djokovic.

After turning pro in 1995, Zimonjić was largely unknown outside of his home nation until his unexpected win in the mixed doubles at the 2004 Australian Open. In an hour and nine minutes, he defeated Martina Navratilova and Leander Paes in straight sets, defeating them in their first matchup with Russian Elena Bovina. He and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia defeated Daniel Nestor and Elena Likhovtseva in straight sets to win the 2006 French Open championship.

Zimonjić and Fabrice Santoro of France advanced to the men’s doubles final and the mixed doubles quarterfinals at the 2006 Wimbledon Championships. The 48-year-old moved into coaching after quitting professional tennis. He always stated that he enjoys using his vast knowledge and experience to mentor the upcoming generation of players. He took up the position of coach for fellow Serbian and top singles player Djokovic in April 2024.

IS NEMAD ZIMONJIC GOOD FOR NOVAK DJOKOVIC?

Sharing the same neighbourhood (Belgrade) and tennis courts for 20 years gives Djokovic a feeling that Nemad Zimonjic is more of a brother to him. Despite his glowing status as an all-time tennis player, Djokovic has a lot he credits Zimonjic for.

Novak Djokovic with his new coach Nenad Zimonjic. Photo/Tennis Majors

“We have known each other really well for more than 20 years. He’s been always like an older brother to me. A mentor, a friend, who always tried to help me as a person and as a player,” he told Eurosport.

Djokovic further discussed how his new coach stepped up following his split with Ivanisevic.

“When I stopped with Goran, I was starting my clay-court preparation in Belgrade and he was there. He came to the court, and we really enjoyed our collaboration and I asked him to come here for a few weeks.

“We are trying to make the most of it. He’s been giving me really useful advice to find the proper position when I’m approaching the net, and it’s something I’m not best at because I don’t play as many doubles matches.

Further, Djokovic feels at ease having Nenad Zimonjic as his coach because he is a multiple Grand Slam champion and a former world No. 1.

Ivanisevic told Sport Klub in an interview that he is in full support of the Serbian taking over from him because he is vastly experienced.

“I don’t know for how much longer Novak plans to keep on playing, but the perfect person is with him at the moment – ‘Ziki’. He is a great friend of mine, we went through a lot together and I love him. He has vast tennis knowledge, but what is most important – he knows Novak really well,” insisted Ivanisevic.