Novak Djokovic’s Current Coaches and his History with Marian Vajda

Novak Djokovic is one of the most successful players to have stepped on a tennis court. His records and achievements are already are unprecedented, and he still has a lot of active years left in him. Like with any athlete, his support team is also of paramount importance to the World No. 1. Djokovic too has a team dedicated to his needs, focussing on making him an even bigger and better threat than anybody else, on the court.

Several coaches have played their role in Novak’s success in the past decade. Novak Djokovic’s coaches have been changed periodically in the last several years.

How many coaches does Djokovic have?

Djokovic turned pro in 2003, and over the course of his very illustrious career, Djokovic has worked with 8 coaches. Very few people know how these coaches have helped Novak grow into the mature player that he is now. Let’s look at the various coaches that influenced Novak Djokovic over the years on the ATP Tour.

Who is the current coach of Novak?

He is currently working with his long-time coach Marian Vajda and alternate coach Goran Ivanisevic. Marian Vajda has been with Djokovic for a long time now, even though they have had a collaboration full of ups and downs. Djokovic has often taken in other people as head coaches but has also shown an uncanny tendency to end up with Vajda. Now, however, he also has former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic in his coaching team too, and this combination seems to work well with him for now.

Novak Djokovic and his coaches through the years

Djokovic’s parents sent him to a tennis camp in Novi Sad, for the first time when he was four years old. In 1993, before the Serb started his primary schooling, his parents sent him to another tennis camp, which was being overseen by Yugoslav tennis player Jelena Genčić, at Mount Kopaonik, which was also where Djokovic’s parents ran a fast-food parlour, along with a sports equipment business. It is Genčić, who Djokovic acknowledges “set the standards for” him, and gave him “an idea of what it was going to take to be the very best.”

Who was the childhood coach of Djokovic?

Jelena Gencic was the one who recognised the potential in Djokovic and later stated that his capacity even when a child was “the greatest talent I have seen since Monica Seles.” She started working with the Serb, for the next six years, and due to the rapid rate at which Djokovic was improving, she suggested that his training be shifted somewhere where he could grow better. She then contacted Nikola Pilic, another Yugoslav player, who had a tennis academy in Germany.

At 12 years of age, Djokovic moved to the Pilic’s tennis academy in Oberschleißheim, spending the next four years there. He started his international career when he was 14, and started winning singles, doubles and team competitions.

Commencement of a professional career with Dejan Petrovic

Novak Djokovic started working with Petrović at age 16. The two started their partnership in 2004 after the Serbian turned pro. Under Petrovic’s tutoring, Djokovic went from being ranked outside the top 300 in the ATP rankings to breaking into the top 100 in less than a year.

However, Dejan could not help Djokovic win an ATP singles title during his short tenure with him. Subsequently, the pair ended their partnership in 2005. Petrovic then started working with the Serbia and Montenegro Davis Cup team. He also tutored the former World No.1 Ana Ivanovic from 2014 to 2015.

New partnership with Riccardo Piatti

From the fall of 2005 until June 2006, Djokovic worked with Riccardo Piatti. Under his mentorship, Novak reached the third round of both Wimbledon and the US Open for the first time in his career. The Italian coach also helped him enter the top 40 of the ATP rankings in 2006. However, Djokovic parted ways with Piatti as the latter refused to work full time with him.

After Djokovic became the World No.1 for the first time in 2011, Piatti claimed in an interview with Reuters that he knew in 2006 that Djokovic could become number one in the world. He also suggested that he can reach the level of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Piatti revealed that the Serb always worked hard as a kid and was very determined to be world number one. Piatti later worked with women’s tennis legend Maria Sharapova. Currently, he works closely with young Italian sensation Jannik Sinner.

Djokovic’s successful career with Marian Vajda

Novak Djokovic hired Marian Vajda as his coach in 2006. This partnership continued until 2017 and was again renewed in 2018. However, from December 2013 until 2016, Boris Becker was Djokovic’s head coach with Vajda remaining part of Djokovic’s team.

The Serbian got the breakthrough of his career, working under Marian Vajda. He also claimed his maiden ATP Title with Vajda. The Serbian has worked with the Slovakian coach for the better part of his professional career.

A not so successful partnership with alternate coach Todd Martin

Djokovic appointed the former World No.4 Todd Martin as his second coach in 2009 alongside Marian Vajda. The Serb was consistently losing in Grand Slam Round of 16’s and quarterfinals while working with the Vajda and Martin partnership. Martin was not with Djokovic very long and did not impact his game for the better.

Novak then parted ways with Martin in 2010. He told ESPN that it became complicated working with two coaches whose styles were different.

Does Boris Becker coach Novak Djokovic?

In December 2013, Novak Djokovic announced that the former World No.1 Boris Becker would become his head coach for the 2014 season with Marian Vajda being the alternative coach. Becker helped Djokovic to dominate his arch-rivals, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Under his mentorship, Djokovic clinched 6 Grand Slam titles, including four in a row and 14 ATP Masters 1000 titles in the span of three years. In December 2016, Djokovic and Becker parted ways. “After three very successful years, Boris Becker and I have jointly decided to end our cooperation,” Djokovic posted on his Facebook account. “The goals we set when we started working together have been completely fulfilled, and I want to thank him for the cooperation, teamwork, dedication and commitment.”

Temporary partnership with Andre Agassi and Radek Stepanek

Stepanek and Andre Agassi, who began working with Djokovic on a part-time basis at the French Open in 2017, were hired by Novak for full-time before the 2018 season. Djokovic hired Agassi and Stepanek as coaches at a period when he was struggling, both physically and mentally. Djokovic had also split from longtime coach Marian Vajda shortly before bringing Agassi aboard and stopped working with Becker a year ago.

He then parted ways with Agassi and Stepanek in 2018 after an 11-month partnership. Since then, Djokovic managed to recapture his form, winning Wimbledon and the US Open after undergoing elbow surgery. He returned to the No. 1 rankings, after falling out of the top 20. He then reunited with his ex-coach, Marian Vajda.

Also Read: Who is Novak Djokovic’s Wife Jelena Djokovic and How She Influences his Career?

For how long has Marian coached the Serb?

Marian Vajda, has arguably been the most important part of Djokovic’s team and career, having been with the superstar since 2006. Vajda is a professional tennis coach from Slovakia and has been with Djokovic’s team, for almost the entirety of the Serb’s career. He’s seen the ups and downs of the World No. 1’s career up close. He’s also open with the press about the struggles Djokovic has had to go through to reach the place he has.

“It is very complicated. The media write what they want, perhaps to push an agenda or they want to influence something. Sometimes, they are one-sided and do not see the complexity of Novak’s personality. He is fantastic, a very nice and a positive person, which brings a lot of good energy to spectators…

Sometimes, people are in favor of the underdog, because Novak is so dominant and nobody wants to see him winning. His domination is so big that many people are jealous when seeing such perfection, so they ask: “How is this possible? How can he win so much? They do not believe it,” he said.

Notable achievements with Marian Vajda

Marian Vajda and Novak Djokovic together, have won 85 titles together, and all of Djokovic’s 20 grand slams have come when he was associated with Marian, either as his head coach or as part of his coaching team. Talking about his charge, after Djokovic’s 2021 Wimbledon win, he said, “I feel that Novak is an amazing example for the younger generation of athletes and people in general. He has attained a level where fans think his game is a miracle, but it is no— there is a lot of work and effort behind it.”

The Serb also won 5 ATP World Tour Finals and 33 ATP Masters 1000 titles. He also conquered a Davis Cup title and Olympic Bronze medal for his country. For his great success with Novak, Vajda won the award for the best coach by the Olympic Committee of Serbia in both 2010 and 2011. In 2018, Vajda also won the ATP Coach of the Year award.

Djokovic also has spoken about how important his team has been to his continued success. He acknowledges the contribution that Marian Vajda has had on his career. “Marian is more than a coach to me. He’s a family member, he’s someone that I can probably call a friend, mentor, and really a member of the family. He’s very close to me, my brother, to my parents, and to my wife,” he said.

Novak Djokovic’s coaches new addition – Goran Ivanisevic

Novak Djokovic has added former World No. 2, Goran Ivanisevic, to his coaching staff on June 30, 2019. He hired Ivanisevic as his second coach alongside Vajda ahead of the Wimbledon Championships 2019.

In adding Ivanisevic to his team, Djokovic gained insight from the former Wimbledon champion. Goran triumphed at The Wimbledon Championships in 2001. As a result, the Serb clinched his 16th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, defeating his arch-rival Roger Federer in a thrilling five-setter final.

It will be interesting to see if Djokovic continues to work with Ivanisevic and his long-time coach Marian Vajda. He might also make some further changes in his coaching team.

Read more: Who Are Rafael Nadal’s Current Coaches and What is History with Toni Nadal?