Ljubicic lauds Ivanisevic coaching style after touching on Novak Djokovic's negativity: "Djokovic’s energy is sometimes negative"

Arthur Fils upward trajectory in the sport has caught the eye of many tennis fans. For the last two months, he has enjoyed the presence of Goran Ivanisevic, Novak Djokovic's former coach. Former Croatian tennis player Ivan Ljubicic believes that his fellow countryman can help Fils out positively on the court while outlining how he dealt with Djokovic's sometimes negative behaviour.

Ivanisevic spent a grand total of six years with Djokovic. After a glorious tennis career, in which he won Wimbledon, he made the transition to coaching. His skills were noted by many after having a positive impact on Marin Cilic's career, overseeing his 2014 US Open triumph. Djokovic saw this and asked for his aid.

They would prove to be a deadly duo. From 2018 to when they split in 2024, the Serbian collected 12 Grand Slam titles - half of his total collection. Ivanisevic would go on to have short-lived spells with Elena Rybakina and Stefanos Tsitsipas before finding a new home alongside Fils as of February 2026.

Ljubicic is a firm believer that Ivanisevic can get the best out of Fils, touching on his ability to control others' emotions. "Goran has a lot of experience and I think he will mostly help to calm things down, because I found the atmosphere around Arthur to be very energetic, fiery."

Ivanisevic time with Djokovic was a hugely fruitful period where Djokovic cemented himself as a tennis great in formidable fashion. A big part of this was due to Ivanisevic controlling Djokovic's negative emotions at times.

Ljubicic explained: “Goran is someone who calms things down and is very objective," he said, translated from Serbian media. "He tells you things exactly as they are, and I think he will bring him, above all, calmness. Goran has been in lively environments, just like Novak Djokovic. With the difference that Djokovic’s energy is sometimes negative. That is not the case with Arthur. But it is not easy to unsettle Goran. He has been through a lot, and to do that, you have to do things differently than just winning ATP 500 tournaments,”

Fils recently won his ATP 500 title at the Barcelona Open. He is coming off the back of a marvellous Sunshine swing where he reached the quarterfinal at Indian Wells before going one better in Miami. He skipped the Monte-Carlo Masters to focus on this event, and his title means that he has come through a tricky period with a lot of points on the line. From here until the end of the year, he has virtually nothing to defend, gifting him a great opportunity to race up the rankings.

This is not the first time Roger Federer's previous coach has commented about Djokovic's negativity. “I think he feeds on that negative energy; he needs it to bring out 110 per cent of himself," he had previously said. "He has to find someone who makes him angry — if it’s not the crowd, then it’s someone from his team."

“I have an opinion, but it’s hard to explain. It seems to me that Novak has two characters: One with negative energy where he gets angry at everything and everyone, and another who loves people, who is humanitarian. Because of that, he loses some of his fans, who are looking for continuity in character."

Djokovic is in a race against time to be fit for the French Open. With one of his rivals, Carlos Alcaraz, not fit to compete, there is an opening for him to exploit as he looks to reach a second consecutive Grand Slam final for the first time since 2023. He has skipped the Monte-Carlo Masters and current Madrid Open to get himself in the best condition possible to challenge for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title in the French capital.