"He is the best in the world, he is not 50th": Goran Ivanisevic slams panic surrounding Novak Djokovic's form
ATP
Novak Djokovic should not be subject to panic predictions that is the view of his former coach up until recently of six years in Goran Ivanisevic. Barely seen this year for a myriad of reasons and with limited data, it has seen wild takes and people saying he is finished.
But that is not the view of one of his prior biggest supporters who said that he will be ready in particular for the Olympic Games. As ever he will not play a huge schedule in the run up to Roland Garros with Rome being his only warm-up outside of the Monte-Carlo Masters. But Ivanisevic sees the Olympic Games in mind as his biggest aspiration and one of the only aspects of his career he has failed to tick off.
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“It's stupid to even talk about panic. He also won the first cup in Rome in 2022. What a panic, he is the best in the world, he is not 50th on the ATP list," said Ivanisevic to Sportal.
“Everything depends only on him and on which Novak appears on the field. If the right, focused one appears, then on any surface to play, everyone can pack up and go home. And if the other one appears, then it's a different story. We know what his goals are, and I think he will be ready for the Olympics.”
He continued: “When he plays for Serbia, he is 100 percent motivated, and I know that he will be 800 percent ready and motivated.
“If there's a man who knows how to handle pressure, it's Novak. I don't think there is any pressure, it's just a big desire. It is important that he is ready in his head. However, there is no space for warming up in Paris, he has to be maximally motivated and ready immediately.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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