Novak Djokovic‘s strength seems to be dormant lately. While it was becoming hard for ATP players to stop him from achieving almost every title that he envisioned in the last season, the odds appear to be on the contrary this time. With his early exit at the Italian Open and the recent defeat against Tomas Machac at the ongoing event in Geneva, the recent setbacks seem to be a mystery. But a journalist has found the answer in Djoker’s split with his coach.
In the latest episode of Tennis Channel’s podcast Inside In, renowned journalist Chris Clarey had much to say about Djokovic’s current state. He pointed out that the recent changes that the Serb has made in his team, including the separation from coach Goran Ivanisevic and other changes, may be a desperate plea for change.
Clarey interpreted these changes as Djokovic’s attempt to reignite his passion for tennis and re-discover his “magic.” He stated, “It is an interesting thing because obviously, if you look at it in a couple different ways, I mean, he has obviously changed his team around, you know, moving on from his agents, his coach Goran, his trainer, you know, he’s made a lot of moves. Why would you do that if you’re in some way motivated to make some change.”
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Pressing on the fact that the Serb is motivated to give a kick start to his same old levels, he added, ‘I think he’s kind of trying to jump-start himself, he’s trying to electro-shock himself maybe more storage behind the scenes.”
According to Clarey, Djokovic’s decision to part ways with Ivanisevic is like an electric shock, a significant change aimed at shaking up his team to its foundations. Clarey believes that Djokovic is struggling to find the spark that once made him a dominant figure on the tour. “I think he’s just expanding himself, running himself in the stands and not being able to figure out exactly how to get the magic back,” the journalist concluded.
It has been a while since Novak Djokovic ended his six-year-long partnership with coach Goran Ivanisevic. The Croatian is widely known for assisting the Serb with his serve, which not only helped him win matches but also established him as the world no.1 for a long period.
While he currently struggles to seek momentum in the scene, Clarey’s statement highlights the fact that the Serb might be in a messy situation. With the disappointing defeat in Geneva, fans are now worried about his run for the title at Roland Garros.
Novak Djokovic to face an intense draw at the French Open
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The Roland Garros’ official website recently released the draw table. While fans were excited to know the steps that Novak Djokovic would have to climb in order to make it to the title, it seemed like the path was decorated with thorns.
Novak Djokovic's possible French Open draw as he seeks a fourth title 🏆#Tennis #RolandGarros #Djokovic pic.twitter.com/XzgassAphF
— Tennis365 (@tennis365com) May 23, 2024
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The Serb’s opening rounds appear to be quite achievable as he’s set to start his run against Pierre-Hugues Herbert and the R2 competition against Roberto Carballes Baena. The struggles start from the third round where he might face Lorenzo Musetti, the Italian who managed to defeat Djokovic back in 2023 at the Monte Carlo Masters.
The path will continue to gain more intensity as Casper Rudd stands to be a potential quarter-final rival, followed by the Italian Open champion Alexander Zverev or Daniil Medvedev in the semis. With Novak Djokovic’s French Open journey designed in a highly competitive manner, dark clouds of worry surround his fate.