Novak Djokovic has brought back a familiar face to his team in the form of Gebhard Phil-Gritsch who worked with him for most of his success as his fitness coach. This comes days after he split with Marco Panichi.
Some doubts had been cast on Djokovic with Panichi being disposed of being the latest in a long line of staff including his agent, physio as well as coach Goran Ivanisevic on being disposed of or quitting in recent months. It is a pivotal time in the twilight of Djokovic's career and one he seemingly will navigate differently.
But also there is no shock when it comes to the 67-year-old Austrian being rehired. He already collaborated with Djokovic between 2009-2017 for most of his Grand Slam success and was only removed when he initially split from Marian Vajda. A player that stays loyal to certain members of his staff, it seems that is the case with him. According to SportKlub, he is 'considered one of the people in his entourage who brought the champion closer to a holistic approach' and comes days before he plays in Rome. Albeit not flanked by nearly any Italians, only a physiotherapist Claudio ZImaglia who worked with Jannik Sinner remains from the initial team.
