Novak Djokovic said Thursday he was unsure who would be his new coach or even if there would be one, a day after ending a five-year association with Goran Ivanisevic.
Djokovic brought Croatia’s 2001 Wimbledon champion on board as a member of his team ahead of the grass-court Grand Slam in 2019 and under his guidance won 12 of his 24 career major titles.
“Concerning my following stage about a coach for me I don’t have any clear idea who that might be and if anyone will be,” Djokovic said at a press conference in Belgrade.
“I have always had coaches by my side, since I was young. I am trying to feel what is good for me in this moment.”
Djokovic has had a poor start to the year by his standards, losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semi-finals.
The 36-year-old then lost to Sinner’s unheralded compatriot Luca Nardi in the third round at Indian Wells, prompting him to withdraw from the ongoing Miami Open.
“Goran and I decided to stop working together a few days ago,” Djokovic posted on Instagram.
“Our on-court chemistry had its ups and downs, but our friendship was always rock solid.
“In fact, I am proud to say (not sure he is) that apart from winning tournaments together, we also had a side battle in Parchisi going on… for many years,” he said, referring to the online game.
“And -– that tournament never stops for us. Šefinjo, thanks for everything, my friend. Love you.”
Djokovic said the volatile and charismatic Ivanisevic had brought more than just his tennis acumen to the partnership, which was exactly what he and his then-head coach Marian Vajda had been looking for.
“I remember clearly the moment I invited Goran to be part of my team,” said Djokovic.
“It was back in 2018, and Marian (Vajda) and I were looking to innovate and bring some serve magic to our duo.
“In fact, not only we bring to serve, but also lots of laughter, fun, year-end no1 rankings, record-breaking achievements and 12 more Grand Slams (and a few finals) to the count since then.”
He is due to return to the tour at the Monte Carlo Masters next month in the build-up to the season’s second Grand Slam of the year at the French Open.
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