“It’s always my fault for everything” - Novak Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic jokes about working with the Serb
Novak Djokovic is presently coached by Goran Ivanisevic, an eight-time Grand Slam winner. The Croat has been a member of Djokovic's team since 2019 and continues to be the Serb's mentor.
Despite their frequent on-court spats, the duo is always in pursuit of making Djokovic the sport's all-time great.
Since teaming up with Goran Ivanisevic, Djokovic has been on an incredible run of success in the tennis world. He has won the likes of the Australian Open, French Open, and Western & Southern Open under his coach's guidance.
In addition to this, he has also won the Rome Open, Wimbledon, Tel Aviv Open, Astana Open, Nitto ATP Finals, and the Adelaide International. Nine of the titles were earned at Grand Slam tournaments.
In 2001, Ivanisevic made history by becoming the first player ever to win Wimbledon with a wild card. As a former player who reached No. 2 in the world, he can relate to the demands placed on the 36-year-old.
Novak Djokovic said he "tortured" his team behind closed doors during his French Open victory speech, suggesting the two had a tumultuous off-court history. Even Ivanisevic admitted that tensions may rise inside the group, as he was often singled out as the scapegoat.
At the Entrepreneurial Attitude conference, the Croat joked that he was always at fault but that he enjoyed his job anyhow, saying:
"There is stress. There are five of us in the team, but it's always my fault for everything. That's how it goes with the coach."
But Ivanisevic admitted that he “loved” his job, admitting it was good to argue on the court.
“He’s a genius; he’s one of a kind”- Novak Djokovic’s coach spoke highly of him
In the wake of Novak Djokovic's historic triumph at the 2023 US Open, Goran Ivanisevic showered his protege with accolades during a press conference.
“He's a genius. He's one of kind,” said Ivanisevic of Djokovic. “There are not too many people in this world like him sport-wise. This is one of the biggest achievements in sporting history. We're not talking about tennis. We are talking generally in sport."
Additionally, the 52-year-old said that Novak Djokovic was a natural-born champion and a highly motivated individual. He added that the Serb would successfully complete a task upon being challenged and would navigate through trying times to come out victorious.
“He's a winner. He's the guy who is self-motivating. He had luck to have guys like Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer come before him, so they pushed each other, but he's a born winner. For him, when you tell him he cannot do something, it's even worse. Then he's going to show you that he can do it.
“There are no excuses. He always try to find a way how to win, how to fight, even when he's not feeling well, injured, not injured”, he added.
Novak Djokovic will return to action later this month at the Paris Masters after his withdrawal from the Asian swing.