Djokovic's Ex-Coach Warns Those Writing Him Off: 'He Can Still Win A Slam'
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Novak Djokovic's 2024 season might not have been a success on the Grand Slam level, but his former coach, Goran Ivanisevic, warned against counting him out.
Djokovic could be called a Grand Slam machine. Between 2011 and 2023, he won at least one major every year except for 2017, winning, on average, almost two majors a year during that period.
But like in 2017, he came out empty-handed this year. The Serbian player played in the Australian Open semi-finals, he reached the French Open quarter-final, but couldn't play in it due to an injury.
He then played in the Wimbledon Championships final, which was his only major final of the season. To end the Grand Slam season, Djokovic lost in the third round of the US Open.
After that, he still competed at the Shanghai Masters but couldn't add his 100th career title, as Jannik Sinner bested him in the final of the penultimate ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season.
On top of that, Djokovic parted ways with coach Goran Ivanisevic in March, completing the vast majority of the season without a coach. It's clear that he's in a new chapter of his career, which is the last chapter.
That is further highlighted by his withdrawal from the 2024 ATP Finals, as he wants to focus only on Grand Slam tournaments and representing his country. His former coach Ivanisevic recently spoke to SportKlub and said that when it comes to majors, Djokovic certainly shouldn't be underestimated.
"I can’t know if he is motivated and how much, but the moment he decides to play, it means that he is eager to play. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are convincingly above the rest of the field, but I put Novak in the group with them, because when Novak really wants to play, he is still the best in the world, in my opinion."
However, the Croatian coach, who started working with WTA player Elena Rybakina recently, also mentioned one crucial factor that everyone mentions when it comes to Djokovic, and that's motivation.
If the 37-year-old can remain motivated, he will certainly remain a threat due to his undeniable qualities, even at this age, but also his experience.
"The other thing is how much he wants to play and when – we saw at the Olympics… If he goes out on the court like that, then he can still win a Slam."
Another important factor will be the Serbian's ranking. With his absence from many tournaments, he is set to finish the year outside of the Top 8 on the ATP Tour, which means that he could play against the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner already in the quarter-finals of majors, making his job of winning a Grand Slam even harder.
"Also, it depends on his ranking and the draw, when does he need to face Sinner or Alcaraz, lots of factors, but can Novak do it? Yes, he can. You can never write him off, I would never do that."
"And good for me – I won’t have to root against Novak, I can stay his fan, unless he switches to women’s tennis!!"
Latest Comments
- Kyrgios will do anything to stay in the news.shirley19-12-2024
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MrMustard18-12-2024 - All that is said , all that is done. Nick has 0 grand slams wins. Everything else is hot 🥵 air.MrMustard18-12-2024
- All that is said , all that isMrMustard18-12-2024
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Stella112-12-2024 - All players should be treated the same for taking banned substances, if your no 1 in the world or no 300 man or woman you should not be allowed to keep playing,,VPH108-12-2024
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