According to Sportskeeda, Novak Djokovic had a heated argument with the Croatian coach after the Serbian had a terrible training session during the Indian Wells tournament. It was merely the culmination of the changes he is making to his staff.
After five years together, the world’s number one tennis player, Novak Djokovic, decided to dismiss his coach, the Croatian Goran Ivanisevic.
The Serbian has had an uneven start to the season. While he reached the semifinal at the Australian Open, the feelings were not the best. A surprising defeat to the world’s 123rd ranked player in the second round of Indian Wells exacerbated the crisis that ended with the departure of the former Split tennis player.
The site Sportskeeda, citing sources close to the world number one, reported that the situation exploded in Indian Wells when Djokovic and Ivanisevic had a severe argument.
The reason is almost unbelievable, especially given the Serbian’s professionalism. According to the website, during one of the days in California, trained poorly, minimally, and reluctantly. A situation that infuriated the Croatian coach, who did not hesitate to confront him.
Time for Changes
But the coach’s departure is just one of the moves Nole has decided on for this season. It seems he has been dissatisfied with his team’s work for a while. In fact, he did not hide it. For months, during matches, the Balkan would furiously turn to his staff, insulting his corner multiple times.
The situation reached a climax at the Australian Open when the frustrated player shouted, “I’m firing everyone.” This wasn’t just a random phrase. The world number one is really changing his entire team, starting with his agent Dodo Artaldi.
Moreover, Ivanisevic himself had mentioned several times in press conferences that Djokovic sometimes went overboard with them during matches, but he justified it by saying that anger gave him energy on the court. Afterwards, according to the now-former coach, he would apologize to everyone, regretting those behaviors. Clearly, this time things were different.
According to Sportskeeda, Nole’s plans for 2024 also caused a greater rift between the player and his coach. The main goal for this season is the Olympic gold, the only thing missing from his endless list of achievements.
