Novak Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanisevic leaves ATP Finals to be with son who has tested positive for COVID-19
Novak Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanisevic has departed from the ATP Finals in Turin in order to attend to a family matter. Ivanisevic's son has contracted COVID-19, and even though his symptoms are not too serious, the former World No. 2 has decided to fly home to see him.
Djokovic now has Marian Vajda, physiotherapist Ulises Badio, and a fitness coach as part of his contingent in Turin. Vajda will take sole charge of the World No. 1's coaching responsibilities in Ivanisevic's absence.
*Breaking News*
Novak Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanisevic left the #NittoATPFinals in Turin after his son tested positive to COVID-19. Now Marian Vajda, Marco Panichi and Ulises Badio are with Novak in Turin. (via @sportklub)
Goran Ivanisevic has been a key part of Novak Djokovic's immense success over the last few years. The Croat joined Djokovic's team back in 2019, and has overseen a total of five Major titles and three year-end World No. 1 finishes.
Djokovic is all set to kick off his 2021 ATP Finals campaign on Monday, with a round-robin match against Casper Ruud.
Novak Djokovic will likely have his hands full in the group stage at the 2021 ATP Finals
Novak Djokovic is one of the most successful players in the history of the ATP Finals. The Serb has won five titles at the year-end championships so far, and is being tipped by many to claim a sixth this year.
Although Djokovic reached the final in 2018 and the semifinal last year, he hasn't won the title since 2015. Moreover, he has been handed a potentially tricky group for the round-robin stage of the event.
On the evidence of the first match between Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz, the courts in Turin are quite quick. That would make Djokovic's first encounter against Ruud a straightforward one on paper, given the Norwegian's historic struggles on quick courts.
But the World No. 1 will likely have his hands full when he goes up against the powerful Andrey Rublev and his Roland Garros final opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas. Rublev's game is well-suited to indoor hardcourts, and his ability to paint the lines with pacy winners could be a source of concern for Djokovic.
Tsitsipas, on the other hand, has an all-court game that can pose problems to any opponent on any surface. He has troubled Djokovic on indoor hardcourt in the past; the Greek beat him in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Shanghai Masters.
It's official.
The groups are set. #NittoATPFinals https://t.co/mXPvBzTkEU
But given the form of the players coming into Turin, Novak Djokovic should be the bookmakers' favorite to top the group. The Serb has just wrapped up the year-end No. 1 trophy by winning a record-breaking 37th Masters 1000 titles at Paris, while Tsitsipas and Rublev have struggled to go deep since the US Open.