Novak Djokovic traveled to Monaco with long-time friend Nenad Zimonjic and explained his position in his team.
Djokovic recently parted ways with long-time coach Goran Ivanisevic, which left many fans and pundits confused. The 24-time major winner refused to comment to the media about the split but admitted that he and Ivanisevic parted on good terms.
Ivanisevic, on the other hand, did a lengthy interview about the split. He wished Djokovic good luck in the future and backed him for more success. Djokovic's first event is the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters, where he will have a coach who is a familiar face to many tennis fans, Nenad Zimonjic.
"He's been a friend for a long time. I have known him since I was very young, he was my Davis Cup captain. We notably won the ATP Cup together in 2020, we have always had good communication."
"I like the way he thinks about tennis, how he observes my game and that of others. He always helped me, he was like a mentor, a big brother. And we kept this relationship."
That's how Djokovic spoke about former doubles player Zimonjic, who had a really good career. He's going to coach Djokovic in Monte Carlo and possibly beyond, although neither has commented on that.
It wasn't something Dojkovic had planned, but he met him in Belgrade as he was preparing for the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event and asked him about the possible collaboration.
"He was in Belgrade when I started my preparation on clay. I asked him if there was a chance he would be present for this session, he said yes. I asked him if he could come to Monaco, he said yes. We are there."
"It's based on our old relationship. We'll see where this takes us. We'll talk about it again at the end of this tournament. Until now, it's pleasant as it always has been between us. It's new and refreshing."
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