Ivanisevic sees Djokovic retiring post-US Open victory

Ex-coach of the former world number one Novak Djokovic, Goran Ivanisevic, has expressed his desire to see Serbia’s legendary tennis star retire from the sport after winning the US Open later this year. The 37-year-old is already regarded as the greatest player in the history of men’s tennis in the Open era in the singles category, having won as many as 24 Grand Slam titles.

Djokovic recently took part at the Paris Olympics, where he won the gold medal for the first time in his career after beating Spain’s young tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz in the final in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 7-6. The victory was a special one for the former world number one for numerous reasons. One because he finally managed to achieve something which was missing from his trophy cabinet despite being the most decorated player in the history of men’s tennis.

Another reason was that Djokovic’s participation in the mega-event was a serious doubt as he suffered a knee injury during the French Open, which forced him to withdraw just before the start of the quarterfinal against Norway’s Casper Ruud. However, not only did he return to the court so soon after, but he also managed to go to Wimbledon, where he lost to Alcaraz and later went on to win the Olympic gold for his country for the first time.

Djokovic’s former coach Ivanisevic was recently quoted in a report where he explained that he was really happy to see the Belgrade-born star finally winning an Olympic gold medal. The 52-year-old further went on to reveal that in his point of view, Djokovic can retire after winning the US Open which would be his 25th Grand Slam title. He stated that the current world number two might prove too hot to handle for his opponent in the mega-event, just like he did in Paris.

“I’m so happy that he finally won this gold medal,” he said. “I wish him a 25th Grand Slam, that he breaks the absolute record, and then he can retire, even if this guy will never retire. I think he can find the motivation, the gold will push him forward. If he plays like that, he is the man to beat at the US Open. At Wimbledon, it was a miracle that he played, let alone reached the final, but you never know if something similar to this year’s Australian Open can happen. Against (Jannik) Sinner, he was not up to par – we don’t have a crystal ball, but if he is motivated like here, he will be the favorite in New York.”