"This was Novak home court, and now we go to Rafa home court" - Novak Djokovic's coach still sees Rafael Nadal as title favorite at French Open
Novak Djokovic's coach Goran Ivanisevic recently commented on the Nadal-Djokovic rivalry and picked the Spaniard as his favorite to lift the 2023 French Open title.
Djokovic won his 10th Australian Open singles title by beating Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-6(5) in straight sets at the Rod Laver Arena on January 29 to win his 22nd Grand Slam title, equaling Rafael Nadal's men's record in the process. The win also guaranteed the 35-year-old a return to the top spot in the ATP singles rankings.
At his press conference afterwards, former Wimbledon winner Ivanisevic shed some light on the Serbian legend's future. Talking about how many more years he will still play at the top level, Ivanisevic said:
"Definitely two, three more years. The way he's taking care of his body, the way he approach about everything, the food, it's amazing. It's unbelievable the level."
The Croatian further commented on the rise of the younger generation and how they are "great for the future of tennis."
"We talking about young guys. They're here, it's great for tennis, great for the future of tennis. But you still have these two guys battling."
Setting his sights on the next Grand Slam at the French Open, the coach called the rivalry between Nadal and his charge a handball match with the score tied at 22-22. However, Ivanisevic picked the Spaniard as his favorite for the title at his "home court," even over the in-form Novak Djokovic.
"This was Novak home court, and now we going next one to Rafa home court in this handball match of 22-22," Ivanisevic said. "Yes, they are coming, Alcaraz, unbelievable. Still, if Rafa steps on the court on the French Open, for me he's always the favorite to win the tournament."
The 51-year-old heaped praise on the Mallorcan, pointing out how it's almost impossible to win a Grand Slam trophy 14 times. Now that Djokovic has joined him as the only other man to have won a single Grand Slam 10 or more times, the Croat marveled at how the duo continuously pushed each other to do better in their respective careers.
"There are a lot of guys who can beat him, also Novak. But Rafa, it's 14 times to win a tournament. You cannot even win a tournament at home 14 times in a row. It's amazing," Ivanisevic said. "They really push each other."
"It was very emotional for him, it's a great achievement" - Goran Ivanisevic on Novak Djokovic's celebration after lifting his 22nd Grand Slam singles title
Following his win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Djokovic made his way to the player's box to celebrate with his support staff and family. Having expressed his win with a calm on-court reaction, the Serbian legend soon found himself celebrating with his team as he let out all of his emotions.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion shed a lot of tears while lying down on the floor of the player's box, surrounded by his entourage in a very emotional moment. Ivanisevic reflected on this never-before-seen side of the tennis legend and said:
"It was very emotional, very emotional for us, very emotional for him. It's a great achievement. It was really tough three weeks for him. He managed to overcome everything," Ivanisevic said.