Goran Ivanisevic admits partnership with Novak Djokovic started showing strain seven months ago

Goran Ivanisevic admitted that his relationship with Novak Djokovic started to show strain in America, but not at Indian Wells.

Ivanisevic and Djokovic ended their relationship after six years together, but the former Wimbledon champion admitted that it was as far back as the US Open that it started to show signs of ending.

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“It wasn’t now in America, I mean, it never really “occurred”. I first noticed the feeling, if I’m being completely honest, last year in America,” said Ivanisevic on Tennis Majors.
“I won’t say as far back as Wimbledon, but that Wimbledon, of course the player is always most affected, but as a coach that loss really hit hard. Of course, all congratulations to (Carlos) Alcaraz, at the end of the day he was the better player, but one or two points here and there it could have easily turned out different.
“We then went to America, and it goes without saying, [we had] an incredible run there – that finals match against Alcaraz in Cincinnati, winning the US Open; however, that’s when I really began to feel that the end was near.”

Goran Ivanisevic coached Novak Djokovic for six years - a successful stint.

Ivanisevic continued that it was only a matter of when as opposed to if they'd part company and that it only got put off due to Ivanisevic undergoing an operation.

“It was only a question of whether that would be at the end of the year, or at some point in this year, and just now in America when I spoke to Novak he said something good – there is no right or wrong moment, there is only that moment when it happens, when two people agree it is time.

“Maybe in hindsight you could say it should have been at the end of last year but after the US Open, I had that operation on my knee, I wasn’t there for six to seven weeks, I wasn’t there for Paris Bercy, Turin came after that.”

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