Jimmy Connors identifies reason for Novak Djokovic’s shock split with Goran Ivanisevic

Jimmy Connors has weighed in on Novak Djokovic’s unexpected recent split with long-time coach Goran Ivanisevic after a massively successful collaboration. 

The tennis legend believes Djokovic needing a “fresh set of eyes” could be the reason for Ivanisevic’s departure and suggested the Serb is “willing to take some extra chances” at this stage of his career.

To the surprise of the tennis world, Djokovic announced in an Instagram post last week that he and Ivanisevic had ended their partnership.

Ivanisevic, a former world No 2 who famously won the 2001 Wimbledon title as a wildcard, joined Djokovic’s coaching team in 2019 and helped him win nine of his 24 Grand Slam titles.

At a press conference in Belgrade for a documentary on his former mentor and coach Nikki Pilic, Djokovic spoke about his split with Ivanisevic.

“First of all, Goran is my friend for life, mine and of my family’s. He is a very dear person for me, the end of our professional collaboration doesn’t mean that our friendship stops,” the world No 1 said.

“Our separation has been positive, as positive as a separation can be. We have come to a point where we’ve exhausted our cooperation after almost five years.

“Together, we’ve written history of our sport, we have won Slams, ended seasons as No 1 in the world, but we went through trials and tribulations as well – disqualification at the US Open, deportation from Australia.

“I will always remember that he was there for me as a person, as a human being, first and foremost, and that he brought the right set of values into our relationship. That kind of chemistry was followed by great results. I wish Goran all the best.”

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Speaking on an episode of his Advantage Connors podcast, former world No 1 Connors gave his thoughts on the matter and highlighted the value of players gaining a fresh perspective.

“For a [fresh] set of eyes, maybe. I think sometimes shaking it up, but isn’t it funny? It’s always the coach’s fault. You know, ‘Time to get rid of the coach!’ (laughs),” said the eight-time Grand Slam champion.

“You’re with somebody, you’re traveling with them week in, week out, and sitting and eating with them. And, you know, sometimes you need a break. You need to shake it up and see what else can come of it.

“Maybe Goran has taken him and given him as much as he can. And then, somebody else comes in, sees a little bit of this, because face it, you’re dealing with one of the best players of all time.

“The changes and suggestions that you make are so tiny. The people from the stands and a lot of people who think they know tennis don’t really see that. You need a fresh set of eyes, it’s important, maybe that’s what he’s thinking and ‘Djoker’ is going to be 37.

“And I think he’s looking and saying, ‘What’s my time left? You know, what am I looking for? What am I looking to do? How much longer do I wanna play? What do I need to do in the next year or two years or whatever years amount of time he has left?’

“Maybe he’s just willing to take some extra chances and give it a go to see where that takes him.”

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