Goran Ivanisevic explains how he motivates ‘genius’ Novak Djokovic
Coaching Novak Djokovic is no mean feat as he has won all there is to win in tennis, but Goran Ivanisevic says he “has a way” to motivate the “genius”, although when things do go wrong then the Croatian is the man in the firing line.
Ivanisevic has been part of Djokovic’s coaching set-up since 2019 as he first worked alongside Marian Vajda before assuming full control of coaching duties in 2022 with the Serbian going on to win nine of his 24 majors since the Croatian joined the team.
Mentoring one of the all-time sporting greats brings a lot of pressure and Ivanisevic opened up during the Entrepreneurial Attitude conference about the challenge that he faces and how he has changed his approach to coaching.
“You always have stress. There are five of us in the team, but everything is always my fault. That’s how it is when you are a coach,” he joked.
The 52-year-old continued: “On the court, people saw me as a savage or semi-savage, but I’m quite different off the court. I’m quite calm. No one believed that I could become a good coach. You need to know how to bury the ego. You don’t matter anymore. The player is important.”
And while the pair have had a lot of success over the past four years, there have also been some contentious moments on court as Djokovic often takes his frustrations out on his team with Ivanisevic usually bearing the brunt of the verbals directed at his players’ box.
The former world No 2, though, insists that it is “good” to argue as he also spoke about his love for coaching.
“It is not easy to motivate him [Djokovic] because he has already won everything, but we have a way,” Ivanisevic said. “Many times we don’t agree, but it’s good to argue on the court. I love this job. Work can only be done if you love it and have the support of your family. If you don’t know how to deal with stress, which is always present, then you can’t do your job.”
The 2001 Wimbledon champion added: “I am happy to train a genius, the best tennis player of all time and one of the best athletes in general. It’s unfortunate that only wins count. The final is not good, it’s like you didn’t even come to the tournament. It’s easier for me because we are from the same region.
“I understand a lot of the things he does and I’m prepared for them in advance. I did the same, but now as a coach I have to be more calm and composed.”
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