Why did Novak Djokovic part with his coach Goran Ivanisevic?

• This is the biggest question most tennis fans are asking themselves following Djokovic’s announcement
• Ivanisevic has worked with Djokovic since 2019 and he was with him during the Covid-19 pandemic
• He says that he saw it coming after Djokovic lost at Wimbledon in 2023 to Carlos Alcaraz

Why did Novak Djokovic part with his coach Goran Ivanisevic after a five-year stint?

This is the biggest question most tennis fans are asking themselves following Djokovic’s announcement that he is a parting ways with the former tennis player turned coach.

Ivanisevic coached Djokovic from 2019 and his time with him has bitter-sweet memories especially during and post- Covid-19 which rocked the Serbian’s career.

He is the man who was behind Djokovic’s return to the top of the ATP rankings despite missing crucial tournaments in the US for two seasons.

Why did Novak Djokovic Part With His Coach Goran Ivanisevic?

According to Ivanisevic in a candid interview said that he saw the signs of ending his working relationship with Djokovic coming to an end last year.

This was after the Serbian lost to Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon 2023 and started the year on the wrong foot winning no single tournament.

Goran Ivanisevic with Novak Djokovic. Photo/Sky SPorts

Ivanisevic told Sasa Ozmo, a Serbian journalist that it became apparent that he would no longer coach Djokovic ahead of the Indian Wells.

Things had changed since losing Wimbledon and he couldn’t understand why because Djokovic won the US Open 2023 and Cincinnati Masters shortly after losing in Wimbledon.

“It wasn’t now in America, I mean, it never really “occurred”. I first noticed the feeling, if I’m being completely honest, last year in America. But that Wimbledon, of course the player is always most affected,” he told Tennis Majors.

Djokovic finished the year on a high note, winning the ATP Finals for the eighth time in history and the Masters 1000 in Paris after winning the titles at Flushing Meadows and Cincinnati back-to-back.

Ivanisevic also acknowledged that, despite his absence from the court, a decision to break their partnership might have been reached earlier this year.

“It was only a question of whether that would be at the end of the year, or at some point in this year, and just now in America when I spoke to Novak he said something good – there is no right or wrong moment, there is only that moment when it happens, when two people agree it is time,” he said.

What Did Novak Djokovic Say About Goran Ivanisevic?

The Serbian tennis star did not give a specific answer as to why he parted ways with his coach. Instead, he shared that they both had incredible moments together and that it was a mutual decision.

Goran Ivanisevic with Novak Djokovic. Photo/Inside Sport

“I am proud to say that apart from winning tournaments together, we also had a side battle in (the board game) Parchisi going on… for many years. And – that tournament never stops for us. Thanks for everything my friend. Love you,” said Djokovic.

However, Ivanisevic feels that Djokovic’s ‘love’ is cosmetic and he is not admitting that he felt fatigued having him [Ivanisevic] as a coach.

He admitted to battling the reality of people looking at him and Djokovic like villains in many countries they travelled together for tournaments.

Realistically, Ivanisevic says there is no single reason why Djokovic opted to drop him as a coach. But, his theory is that he did so out of ‘fatigue’.

“We reached a certain level of saturation, as I like to say: “material fatigue”. Just as a car needs a regular service and tune up, basically I became tired of him, he became tired of me; in any case I didn’t feel like I could help him anymore.”

Even so, he doesn’t hide the fact that he gave his coaching job his all and he enjoyed the ups and downs that came with it, especially during the coronavirus period.

The five years he spent with the Serbian tennis star came with what he terms as ‘material fatigue’ and it is inevitable to put an end to it.

Meanwhile, Djokovic still isn’t sure if he needs a new coach or not.