'Novak Tells Truth, It Hurts People': Djokovic's Ex-Coach on His Lack of Recognition
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Novak Djokovic might be the greatest tennis player of all time, but some, like his former coach Goran Ivanisevic, feel like he doesn't get enough recognition.
Statistically, there is no one who could match Djokovic. The Serbian legend has won 99 career titles, 72 of which were the so-called "big titles." He is a 24-time Grand Slam champion. Djokovic also lifted 40 ATP Masters 1000 trophies, he has won the ATP Finals seven times, and as of 2024, he's also an Olympic champion.
For comparison, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer won 59 and 54 big titles, respectively. Still, there are many who would put either of them above Djokovic in the greatest of all-time (GOAT) debate.
There are different reasons for that. Some consider the influence on the sport that Federer had as the most important factor. Others think that Nadal's injuries stopped him from having a more successful career. But at the end of the day, nothing tops Djokovic's achievements.
His former coach, Goran Ivanisevic, recently spoke to Slaven Bilic, as per Tennis365. The Croatian coach spoke about Djokovic and his two main rivals, and what their strengths were.
"Federer plays the most beautiful tennis, even when he plays badly, you enjoy watching. Then you have Rafa who is a fighter, to the point of exhaustion, he is such a fighter, he will leave his life on the court. He won 14 titles at Roland Garros, that will never happen in the history of any sport. Djokovic is the most complete of all three and the best ever."
During the same interview, Ivanisevic argued that nationality matters when it comes to how athletes are perceived in the world of sports. According to the 53-year-old Croatian, Djokovic is perceived differently because he is from Serbia.
"When someone tells me that it doesn’t matter where you’re from, how does it matter? Everything matters. If Luka Modric was English, he would be the most expensive in the history of football. It’s not the same, this one is Swiss, this one is Spanish, then a guy from Serbia comes and they don’t understand anything, where he came from."
"He goes and says what he thinks, he’s the only one, he says what others think and what they shouldn’t say. Novak tells the truth, it hurts people, not everyone will hear it. I know what others think, they twist it a bit, and he is like that."
“We are Balkans, so they put us all in the same category, you are this or that. He showed them on the court, and they can’t take that away from him. He is the best. You don’t have to love him, you have to respect him and acknowledge him."
"At the end of the day, they will have to acknowledge him, because he is the greatest. If he was one of those two, yes, they would have already acknowledged them."
Djokovic will have a chance to further prove that he is the greatest tennis player of all time at the ongoing Miami Open. He will take on Jakub Mensik in the final of the tournament, having a chance to win his 100th career title.
