After Crushing Novak Djokovic’s Olympics Dream Twice, 35-YO Tennis Legend Extends Hand for Coaching

The tennis world is left wondering, “Who knows what’s coming next?” as Novak Djokovic is ready to go solo. The Serb has been trimming down his coaching team one after the other, but is there a place for a new coach on his team? Juan Martín del Potro, who has closely observed Djokovic’s journey, recently revealed his ideas on coaching him and also revealed the potential players he would like to mentor.

Following the exits of fitness coach Marco Panichi and Goran Ivanisevic, ready-to-be coach Juan Martín del Potro may be considered for coaching positions. However, he stated in a recent interview that he can give a thought to such a significant move. He stated, “I am more comfortable with the juniors than on the professional circuit.” 

Further, he added, “Obviously, if Nadal, Alcaraz or someone else calls me, I will gladly accompany them; Djokovic, now that he finished with Ivanisevic, was looking for a coach. With them, happy with the life of traveling.” Along with that, he clearly stated that if the world number one calls him, he won’t deny it and would love to coach him.

However, both Djokovic and Del Potro have an Olympic past full of rivalry. Del Potro defeated Djokovic in the bronze medal match at the 2012 London Olympics to win the medal for Argentina. Then, in the opening round of the competition in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Del Potro defeated him once more.

The 35-year-old highlighted certain players by name, like Carlos Alcaraz, expressing his desire to develop bright young players who have the potential to leave their mark on the tennis world. But he also showed that he was open to coaching opportunities with more established players, such as Rafael Nadal, indicating that he was adaptable to varied coaching styles.

While the Argentine tennis player is considering the 24-time Grand Slam Champion’s coaching, Djokovic, on the other hand, is thinking of going solo after 20 years of professional tennis as he stated, “It’s not like I think I don’t need a coach at all. I think there’s always value in having that quality team… But I think I’m in the stage of my career where I can afford to maybe think having no coach is also an option.”

Although he was accompanied by former world No. 1 in doubles Nenad Zimonjić at the Monte Carlo Masters a month ago, the 36-year-old is unsure if he wants to stay with him or decide to handle this final phase of his tennis career on his own. Even though he was accompanied by former world No. 1 in doubles Zimonjić at the recent Monte Carlo Masters, Djokovic is still unsure about his preparations for coaching in the latter stages of his career.

After Goran Ivanisevic, the 36-year-old now parted ways with his fitness coach Marco Panichi, cutting down on his coaching team.

Novak Djokovic drops another shocker

The world’s top tennis player, Novak Djokovic, announced on his Instagram account a day ago that his successful relationship with his fitness coach was coming to an end. He wrote, “Grande Marco, what amazing years of collaboration we’ve had. We reached the summit, won titles, broken records. But most of all, I have enjoyed our most “ordinary” days of training in and out of the gym.” 

Joining Djokovic’s coaching team in 2019, Marco Panichi brought a plethora of expertise and experience with him. He was a key figure in the Serb’s career as a fitness coach, helping him to achieve an incredible 10 Grand Slam titles.

Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on the 35-year-old’s recent revelation? Do let us know in the comment section below.