Coaching Novak Djokovic is like coaching Real Madrid, claims Goran Ivanisevic
Novak Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanisevic recently likened the Serb to legendary football club Real Madrid. While speaking on a podcast, Ivanisevic highlighted how much importance Djokovic attaches to winning trophies, which has also been the case at Real Madrid over the last few decades.
Novak Djokovic's hunger for titles and records is no secret. On several occasions in the past, the 33-year-old has openly declared his ambition of claiming every significant tennis record.
Djokovic recently made one of those records his own, as he went past Roger Federer's all-time mark of 310 weeks as World No. 1. But Goran Ivanisevic pointed out that the Serb is not a man who likes to rest on his laurels.
According to the Croat, Novak Djokovic always looks to improve and scale new heights, which in turn 'pushes' Ivanisevic to be better at his role too.
"With Novak, what is good today is not good tomorrow," Ivanisevic said. "It must always be better. Each day must be better than the last, he constantly wants to improve. And you should know that it also pushes me to be a better coach."
Goran Ivanisevic revealed that Novak Djokovic has reached a position in his career where runner-up finishes don't satisfy him anymore. Ivanisevic cited the example of Real Madrid in this regard, claiming that fans call for the coach's head if the team loses even two games in a row.
While the Croat admitted that Djokovic's ambitions have increased the pressure on him as a coach, he also claimed 'life is boring' without that kind of stress.
"So it's not easy to deal with times when there are ups and downs, when the pressure is very strong because the final is not good enough," Ivanisevic said. "It's like saying you coach Real Madrid football club, if you lose two games, the fans ask you to leave. They want to kick you out. So now that Novak is like an institution, he only wants records, records, and win, wins, win… and that's a lot of pressure, but life without pressure is boring."
Novak Djokovic recently spotted filming for one of his sponsors in Menton
Novak Djokovic recently paid a visit to the Menton Tennis Club to film an advertisement for one of his sponsors. Menton is a French town on the France-Italy border, which is a stone's throw away from Monte Carlo - where Djokovic resides.
The President of the Menton Tennis Club, Gilles Perez, revealed that Djokovic requested to return to the club after having previously filmed in that location. Perez showered rich praise on the Serb, highlighting his friendly demeanor.
"It was he who asked to come back here," Gilles Perez said. "He had already shot an advertisement on our courts, four years ago. I have fond memories of it, of a very friendly person, great with kids. A bliss."