French Open, Ivanisevic on Djokovic: “He tortured us”

Status: 11:49 am | Reading time: 3 minutes

TAfter Novak Djokovic’s historic tennis record, rainer Goran Ivanisevic spoke in a remarkable press conference about the challenging work with the 23-time Grand Slam title winner. “He handcuffed us for three days,” joked 51-year-old Ivanisevic about the time during the French Open. Djokovic had just won the final in three sets against the Norwegian Casper Ruud and was the first male tennis professional to celebrate his 23rd title in a Grand Slam tournament.

“He’s not an easy boy,” added Ivanisevic, “especially when things don’t go his way. But we’re here to be beaten. We’re here to make him feel better, perform better. Sometimes it’s not easy, sometimes it’s very complicated.”

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In his victory speech, Djokovic also thanked his supervisors and family for “patience and tolerance” because he knew what they were going through with him. “You know what we’ve been through. You know how difficult it can be,” said the 36-year-old Serb: “Thank you for your patience and tolerance. I was sometimes unbearable in the last few days and weeks.

The best statements of Goran Ivanisevic about …

… Djokovic’s claim in training: “He tortured us, pulled out our nails. Many more things I am not allowed to tell you. But we’re still here, still alive. My heart is still fine. I’m an old man, I have to be careful with my heart.”

… Djokovic’s will to win: “He’s like (Ex-Profi Andy) Roddick once said: He’ll take your legs, then he’ll take your soul, then he’ll dig your grave, and then it’s your funeral and you’re dead. Bye-bye. Thank you for being there.”

… working with Djokovic after his 22nd Grand Slam title at the Australian Open: “We started the new sadomaso training. It’s a new way of training: from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. (laughs) I mean, I don’t know what to do with him. It’s always something. He’s the guy who always wants something. He wakes up and says: My backhand didn’t work yesterday, so we have to work on the backhand. But the backhand was perfect for us. We fix his backhand. Every day is something. He’s a perfectionist. This brilliant mind that is always missing something. But I’m very proud of him. We told him: If you want to win this tournament, you have to stop talking to us so much.”

… Djokovic’s mobility: “He’s amazing, he still moves like a cat on the pitch. Like a ninja, he’s everywhere.”

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