It was a bombshell announcement that few saw coming and that has inevitably sparked suggestions over the future of Novak Djokovic.
As the world No 1 stunned the tennis world with an early morning Instagram message confirming his enduring coaching relationship with former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic had come to an end, it took some time to comprehend whether this news was as big as it seemed.
Djokovic has had a curious start to 2024 that included some lacklustre performances and ultimately a defeat in the Australian Open semi-finals, with an early exit at the Indian Wells Masters after a defeat against world No 123 Luca Nardi another unexpected setback for a winning machine who appeared to still have a stranglehold over his rivals in the men’s game as he approaches his 37th birthday.
Djokovic’s decision to withdraw from the Miami Open as he suggested he would rather spend more time with his family than play an ATP 1000 event that means less to him at this stage of his career fuelled the rumours that his passion to continue to commit to the sport he has transcended is waning.
Now this decision to end his working relationship with Ivanisevic adds to the growing sense that Djokovic is either winding down his career towards a hasty conclusion, or he is eager to have one final push for yet more glory.
With his status as the greatest player of all-time assured as he has won more Grand Slams than anyone else and topped the ATP Rankings for more than 200 weeks more than his nearest rivals in that list, it would be natural for Djokovic to lose some of the insatiable hunger that has driven him on for so long.
Yet the end of his rule as the king of the men’s game appears to be coming at a more rapid pace than we were expecting, with the exit of the influential Ivanisevic from his camp another unexpected twist.
Ivanisevic became the Serbian’s main coach in March 2022, having previously worked alongside Djokovic’s long-time mentor Marian Vajda for several years.
The world number one said he and Ivanisevic parted ways “a few days ago”, writing on Instagram: “I remember clearly the moment I invited Goran to be part of my team. It was back in 2018, and Marian and I were looking to innovate and bring some serve magic to our duo.
“In fact, not only we brought 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. Did I mention a bit of drama too?
“Goran and I decided to stop working together a few days ago. 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 (the board game) Parchisi going on… for many years. And – that tournament never stops for us. Thanks for everything my friend. Love you.”
Djokovic had one of his best seasons in 2023, winning three grand slam titles and losing an epic Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz, but this news comes at an uncertain time for the 36-year-old, who also recently split from his long-time agents.
The change to a new business adviser Mark Madden has seen Djokovic look to remould his image away from the court and get involved in more public appearances away from the court at awards ceremonies and a variety of sporting events from the Ryder Cup to soccer matches and NBA basketball games.
That has sparked some suggestions that Djokovic is becoming distracted by outside interests at a moment when his passion for tennis is being tested and it will be fascinating to see if he decides to make a high appointment of a new lead coach.
It may also be the case that Djokovic’s increasingly trimmed down schedule did not fit with Ivanisevic’s eagerness for a full-time coaching role and he will not be short of offers now that he is free from his commitment to Djokovic.
Ivanisevic never shied away from the challenges of working with Djokovic, saying after the French Open final last year: “He’s not an easy guy, let’s put it this way. Especially when something’s not going his way.
“He keeps you stressed, the stress level is always high. It never goes down. But every day you learn something.”
If Djokovic opts against replacing Ivanisevic ahead of an expected appearance at the Monte-Carlo Masters next month, the suspicion that we may be witnessing the final chapters of Djokovic’s tennis story will gather momentum.
Yet this defiant champion may just have decided the time has come to freshen up his backroom team ahead of a final push for glory over the next 18 months.
The tennis world will now be waiting to see what comes next for Djokovic.
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