Published 14 May 2024, 20:18
Goran Ivanisevic: After Djokovic’s helmet action, his ex-coach is now speaking
At the end of March there was a bang: Novak Djokovic separated from Goran Ivanisevic after six years. Now the former coach is talking about his relationship with number 1 for the first time – and also chats about Roger Federer.
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Djokovic came wearing a helmet after a bottle accident.
Goran Ivanisevic acts as an ambassador for a tennis school in Schlieren.
The coach speaks for the first time about the separation from Novak Djokovic.
The tennis legend has special memories of Roger Federer.
Big circus in Schlieren. Tennis legend Goran Ivanisevic pays his respects in the newly restored Vitis sports center. The 2001 Wimbledon champion is visiting to promote a new junior academy. “It’s a great thing,” says the 52-year-old Croatian and shows himself to be a teacher and entertainer at the same time in the kids’ training.
Things then get serious in the 20-minute conversation when Ivanisevic talks about the end between him and Novak Djokovic. “We had hard but also good times together,” he says with a bittersweet expression. It was only two months ago that the world number 1 separated from him after weeks of crisis. “Novak now needs a new influence,” says Ivanisevic.
Won everything there was to win
The major winner stood at Djokovic’s side for six years and made him the best player in the world after the Boris Becker era. “Together we have won everything there is to win,” Ivanisevic says with satisfaction and finds his smile again. “Novak and I often had a lot of fun together – he’s always up for a joke.”
It is completely normal that Djokovic looks for new paths in times of unsuccessfulness. That’s why there is no bad blood, says Ivanisevic. And the recent bottle-on-the-head incident in Rome shows that the 36-year-old Serb has not lost his sense of humor even during the crisis. “The appearance with the bike helmet the next day is typical Novak,” says Ivanisevic and laughs.
Helped Roger Federer to have a great moment
Goran Ivanisevic also speaks highly of Roger Federer – although he only played against him twice and came up short both times. First in London in 2000, then a year later in Milan, where he lost to Federer in the quarterfinals and Federer later celebrated his first tournament victory on the professional tour. “So I helped him have his moment of glory,” jokes Ivanisevic.
He also remembers the first encounter at the ATP tournament in Basel when Federer was still a teenager. “His coach came to me and said he had a good junior to warm up,” says Ivanisevic. “You could already see that the guy has a special way of handling the ball.”
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2024-05-14 18:18:42
#Tennis #Goran #Ivanisevic #Excoach #talks #Novak #Djokovic
