Ivanisevic exclusive: “I knew after the round-robin, the real Novak Djokovic will show up”
Coach Goran Ivanisevic said that from the moment he saw Novak Djokovic warming up before his semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz, he knew the Serbian had flicked a switch to win the tournament
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Following Novak Djokovic’s record breaking seventh title at the ATP Finals, his coach Goran Ivanisevic spoke exclusively to Tennis Majors saying that Novak flipped a switch after the group phase.
In the semifinals against Carlos Alcaraz and finals against Jannik Sinner, Djokovic lost 11 games in total.
“When you put it like that, it looks easy and relaxed, but firstly we have to thank Sinner – if he hadn’t beaten Rune, we wouldn’t be standing here,” Ivanisevic told Tennis Majors.
Djokovic flips a switch heading into knockout phase
“But I knew – after the round-robin, the real Novak Djokovic will show up,” said the Serbian’s coach.
“He played OK in the first three matches, but… He was a bit empty after the first match, because he came here with a goal to secure year-end number one. I can’t say that he didn’t put in the effort, but it wasn’t true Novak, and Sinner played extraordinarily well in the first match.”
Djokovic ended up in the semifinals after “a bit of shaking and waiting,” as Ivanisevic put it.
“Beating Alcaraz 6-3, 6-2 – regardless of the level Carlos showed – is an amazing thing to do. Today, I knew that Novak was going to win – it was Sinner’s first big finals, in front of the home-crowd, the pressure took its toll.”
Asked about when he saw Djokovic flipping the switch, Ivanisevic answered:
“Yesterday in the warm-up – for the first time the warm-up was different, more positive.
“Also, the start of the match against Alcaraz – fist-pumping straight away, positive mindset. It’s true that Alcaraz missed a lot, but you still have to beat him. In the finals against Sinner, he played a lot smarter tactically compared to the first match.
“I mean – it’s finals and it’s really hard to beat Novak Djokovic in the finals.”
How long can Djokovic maintain his best level?
Djokovic played in the finals of five biggest events in 2023, all four Grand Slams and the ATP Finals, winning four of them and ending the year as No 1 for the eighth time.
“It’s hard to say anything wise, simply incredible. I am sorry about Wimbledon too, particularly about that second set that could’ve changed everything, but we have to congratulate Carlos – he was braver and better that day.
“Once again a dream year – it started wonderfully, it ended magically. For Novak it’s not over, I wish him and Serbia the victory in the Davis Cup.”
The question on the mind of tennis fans around the world is the following – how long can Djokovic go on like this?
Even Ivanisevic is unsure, responding with a wry smile, “I really don’t know, you will have to ask him that.”
