Novak Djokovic announced today he has ended his relationship with coach Goran Ivanisevic after five hugely successful years.
The Serb began working with former Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic in 2018 and together they claimed 12 grand slam titles.
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It is not known if 36-year-old Djokovic’s recent struggles – he failed to land an 11th Australian Open title at the start of the year and was surprisingly beaten by Luca Nardi in the third round at Indian Wells – has contributed to the split.
Djokovic said on Instagram: “I remember clearly the moment I invited Goran to be part of my team. It was back in 2018, and [former coach] Marian [Vajda] 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?”
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Djokovic insisted their friendship was still intact and would continue to flourish around board game Parchisi.
He added: “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’m proud to say (not sure he is) that apart from winning tournaments together we also had a side battle in Parchisi going on… for many years.
“And that tournament never stops for us. Sefinjo, thanks for everything my friend. Love you.”