Will Novak Djokovic's recent split with Goran Ivanisevic affect his chances of achieving the Triple Career Golden Masters at Monte-Carlo?
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic recently called off his almost five-year-long alliance with ex-coach Goran Ivanisevic. The duo had one of the most successful partnerships in tennis, capturing nine Grand Slams together.
Djokovic, who won three out of four Majors and was the best player on tour last year, faces a challenge in April 2024. He has been struggling this year, losing an Australian Open match for the first time in six years and not clinching any titles so far this season.
His recent defeat to Luca Nardi in the third round of Indian Wells was one of the most disappointing ones of his career, given the fact that the 20-year-old was ranked World No. 123 at the moment.
The Serb has a lot to play for this year. He will be determined to win Olympic gold at the upcoming Paris Olympics, a feat he has not achieved in his career so far.
He also has a chance to complete the Triple Career Golden Masters (winning all nine Masters 1000 events thrice on the ATP tour). The attempt itself is a fascinating feat for Djokovic, as no other player in history has completed the Career Golden Masters even once so far.
Except for the Monte-Carlo Masters, Djokovic has captured all Masters 1000 events on tour at least three times.
With the latest edition of the Monte-Carlo Masters on the horizon, the question is, can Djokovic create history and become the first player to achieve the Triple Career Golden Masters? Will his recent split with Goran Ivanisevic affect his chances of succeeding at the claycourt event?
For a dynamic and forceful personality like Djokovic, Ivanisevic was not the usual yes-man coach a player would want in his corner. The Croat was equally demanding and forced Djokovic to come up with solutions on his own during tough moments.
He had a great understanding of when to absorb the Serb's outbursts on the court and when to avoid him and not give much importance to a challenging situation. Ivanisevic helped Djokovic deal with tough situations on his own, while being present in his corner and added as much value as he could on his tactical and physical aspect of the game.
Maybe, another coach would have advised the Serb against breaking his racquet so often. On the flip side, a different coach could have also played a major role in lifting Djokovic's mood during his rootless losses.
While a coaching change can disrupt a player's established routine and strategies, Djokovic is a highly experienced player with a proven track record of success. He has won the Monte-Carlo Masters twice in his career — in 2013 (d. Rafael Nadal) and 2015 (d. Tomas Berdych) — and history suggests that he has had no problems transitioning smoothly to a different surface.
His determination to prove himself after a tough start to the season and a coaching change will be higher than ever. The World No. 1 will be hungry to open his account with a trophy this year.
Masters 1000 titles won by Novak Djokovic so far (40 total):
Indian Wells (5): 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016
Miami Masters (6): 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016
Monte Carlo Masters (2): 2013, 2015
Madrid Masters (3): 2011, 2016, 2019
Rome Masters (6): 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2020, 2022
Canada Masters (4): 2007, 2011, 2012, 2016
Cincinnati Masters (3): 2018, 2020, 2023
Shanghai Masters (4): 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018
Paris Masters (7): 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023
A look at Novak Djokovic's route to the finals in the upcoming Monte-Carlo Masters 2024
Novak Djokovic will make his 17th appearance at the Monte-Carlo Masters next week. He has a decent record at the event, amassing 36 wins from 50 matches, including title-winning runs in 2013 and 2015 and runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2012.
The Serb will be the top seed in Monte-Carlo and has been handed a tricky draw this time around. The likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, and Taylor Fritz are all included in his half.
Djokovic will begin his campaign against Roman Safiullin or an unexpected qualifier in the second round. He then needs to navigate past sticky opponents such as Lorenzo Mussetti or Taylor Fritz en route to the quarterfinals.
World No. 5 Andrey Rublev is the favorite to meet him in the last eight. The Russian is the defending champion in the Monte-Carlo Masters and has a solid record on clay.
If Djokovic manages to continue his run, he could lock horns with Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals. The Spaniard faces stiff competition from Casper Ruud, Ugo Humbert, and Hubert Hurkacz in his half, but is most likely to outsmart them and advance to the last four.
Meanwhile, World No. 2 Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, and Holger Runer are among the favorites to go the distance in the second half of the draw. Any of these players could set up a thrilling encounter against Djokovic if he successfully advances to the finals.