Djokovic gets rid of his entire coaching team

Djoko has rid himself of his entire coaching team and says he's going to go it alone for the time being. He's described the move as "shock therapy".

Sounds a bit of a desperate move. Time will tell if it is the correct one.

This is pretty big news. I cant believe he is getting rid of Marian Vajda who has pretty much been there for his whole career and has been clearly a great influence.

To me this suggests that Novak just isn't putting in the hours on the practise court anymore and is seeing tennis as more of a burden. Perhaps his focus really is on family now and he has accepted now that he has already won and accomplished more than he could ever have dreamt possible.

In some ways perhaps this could bring out a care free djokovic that could get back to playing really exciting tennis. Maybe he feels that things had become stale and he was struggling for motivation. Either way I don't think we will ever see the djokovic of 2011 and 2015 again, he just doesn't have the same confidence anymore.

Losing to Kyrgios twice this year says it all, there is no way a player of Novaks ability should be losing to Kyrgios once let alone twice in a year. Then losing to Goffin who is a very good player but one with very few big weopans, that sort of player would usually be Novaks bread and butter. Players now know that Novak is there for the taking.

It is sad to see the demise of Novak but at the same time he is accomplished more than any of us could reasonably have predicted. What a career he has had.

The BBC say "The world number two says he will be on the tour alone until he finds the right person to take over as head coach".  And that is exactly what he needs - a HEAD coach.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/39819049

Nah slasher, losing to Kyrgios wasn't anything surprising. Kyrgios beat Rafa in 2014 when Rafa was no.1; he beat Fed at Madrid in 2015 when Fed was no.2; so, he beating Djoko the no.2 guy wasn't anything surprising imo. Moreover Djoko wasn't playing his best tennis for sure.

As for losing to Goffin, they played a three set match in 2015 at Cincy, when it's Djoko's best year, and played a tight match at Miami last year. Goffin has the tools to deal with anyone, it's just his mental fragility at crucial moments that's his biggest weakness. I'm not surprised that he beat Djoko in three sets at MC this year, and Djoko almost won it in the third set before Goffin caught up and beat him.

Djoko just needs to take a long break from the tour, gets his problems fixed, and then work on his fitness and his game. His body doesn't look fresh, his movements and reflexes not as great as before, his serve and returns not as good, his ground strokes too. His body badly needs a break.

I disagree on the Kyrgios losses. A player like Novak shouldn't be losing to him. Kyrgios has achieved virtually nothing in the game (though I accept he is young). When has he ever been at the business end of a grand slam?? Even Dimitrov who is very talented and in many ways has underachieved so far reached a semis at Wimbledon and I think he has been to a couple of quarter finals elsewhere at slams (could be wrong there). I cannot remember a single time that Kyrgios even reached a QF?? He is all talk.

Goffin has great ability but lacks the big weopon in his game. I still rate him highly though and his game is pleasing on the eye. He is also a likeably guy.

Perhaps Novak would be best to take a break from the game. He looks poor physically and clearly he is not in a good place mentally. Maybe a break from the game would do him good

All I'm reading is conjecture.. perhaps perhaps !! is he getting rid of them?? ... or are they getting rid of him..??  who knows Boris walked out.. I would think in his present frame of mind he is not the easiest person on earth to work with I would suggest, and only suggest, that he doesn't take direction that easy

Slasher, Kyrgios had reached the QF at Wimbledon in 2014 as a 19yo. Why do you think he shouldn't be beating Djoko, when he could beat Rafa and Fed? I certainly don't think beating Djoko is more difficult than beating Rafa or Fed!

Don't forget, Kyrgios pushed Fed to the limit at Miami this year, and Fed was playing good tennis so far this year, the best on the HCs this year.

If Kyrgios is good enough to beat Roger & Rafa (and both were in reasonable shape at the time, even though perhaps not at their very best) then there is no earthly reason why he cannot beat Novak too.

There is no great shame in those successive losses by Novak, and it is hardly a sporting occurrence of seismic proportions. I am pretty convinced that every top player (by which I mean all those floating in & out of the Top 20 over the next few years) will see a defeat to Kyrgios  - whose talent is widely underrated because (understandably) of his periodic child-like behaviour ; and there is absolutely no meat in the theory that Djoko has some sort of divine right to not suffer in the same way.

And I would add that nor are such defeats - in themselves - some kind of definitive, categorical proof of a decline in Novak's game.

No name Bertie wrote:The BBC say "The world number two says he will be on the tour alone until he finds the right person to take over as head coach".  And that is exactly what he needs - a HEAD coach.

LOL.  Indeed.

Kyrgios is good enough to beat anyone on his day. He has not achieved anything because he is up-and-down, but his best is excellent.

It is not the losses to Kyrgios that are problematic, it is the fact that Djokovic has been losing to all kinds of people, and way too frequently, lately.

Federer lost to Donskoy at Dubai. Should he fire Ljubicic, Paganini, Luthi, Godsick, ... or should he keep them because he won AO, IW/Miami?

http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/articles/2017-05-01/toni_nadal_winning_10_times_at_rolandgarros_would_be_enormous.html says

Toni Nadal, Rafa’s uncle as well as being his coach since the early days, is currently in his last season on court alongside his nephew, and thus readying himself for what should be his last Roland-Garros in a few weeks… Unless, of course, there is a change in circumstances…

... like Nadal winning a 10th RG?

If Djokovic wins RG2017, should he re-hire his entire team back? Murray has Lendl back in his corner.

If Djokovic wins RG2017, should he re-hire his entire team back?

More to the point .. would they come back ?

If Djokovic wins RG2017, then he doesn't need to re-hire his entire team back or any part of it back - surely?

All the signs (for me) show Djokovic is mentally in a mess and has been since last summer. He's tried playing through these issues hoping something will spark him into life but to no avail. If I remember correctly he fired his dietician who had been lauded for sorting Novak's diet out and improving his physical prowess in the process. He then split with Boris Becker (a partnership that had served him well for a couple of years) and replaced them with a new team who have lasted around six months before they too have been sacked. I cannot, for one minute, believe that all of those people have been incompetent so you have to question the rationale at the moment of Novak.

I have to agree CC he is in a mess.. but am I being naïve or just cynical.?  What top tennis player sacks his entire coaching team at this very crucial point in the tennis calendar and particularly before a GS. In all my years I have never heard of it.  Did he fire them? or were they totally sick and tired of his obvious inability to take direction .. Boris Becker walked out (as you pointed out that had served him well) and suddenly at that. . I am cynical enough to think there were a few ultimatums banded around and they walked out. I don't believe Novak is stupid enough to   "sack" them

Haddie-nuff wrote:I have to agree CC he is in a mess.. but am I being naïve or just cynical.?  What top tennis player sacks his entire coaching team at this very crucial point in the tennis calendar and particularly before a GS. In all my years I have never heard of it.  Did he fire them? or were they totally sick and tired of his obvious inability to take direction .. Boris Becker walked out (as you pointed out that had served him well) and suddenly at that. . I am cynical enough to think there were a few ultimatums banded around and they walked out. I don't believe Novak is stupid enough to   "sack" them

It is mystifying. And lets not forget one of those is coach Marian Vajda who has been with Novak virtually throughout his career and overseen the best and most successful years of his career so why bin him now? At the moment (and this is me completely stabbing in the dark without facts) he is like an alcoholic who is in denial. He seems to be looking to blame others for his poor form instead of looking closer at himself. Until he accepts (that largely) only he can get himself back on track on court then he may just stumble very sadly into tennis oblivion. It will be interesting to see what happens to his form now. If it continues in the same vein then obviously the problem does lie within his mind and soul.

In the BBC article they report the following "A statement on Djokovic's website said he and coach Vajda, fitness coach Gebhard Phil Gritsch and physiotherapist Miljan Amanovic had "mutually agreed" to "end their successful and long-term partnership"."

So no mention of Djokovic getting rid of, or sacking his coaching team - rather it was "mutually agreed".  So Djokovic may be putting a spin on it when he talks about shock therapy and the need to do something different.  Presumably he also has a load of worried sponsors he needs to keep happy - even though it seems like something is wrong with his head or he has just lost interest. It is strange because Djokovic seems very aware of himself being an ambassador and role model for Serbia and I think part of his motivation was to represent Serbia in the international sporting arena.

mmmmm I think we are on the same page .. conjecture I know but if you are right and he is not prepared to accept responsibility for his poor form and his team are tired of taking stick then my theory could be right. Marian Vajda is giving him the rope to hang himself with and gone for a walk (probably not far I bet) waiting for him to come to his senses or find himself.
If he is mentally in such a bad place then you have to have a little sympathy.

No name Bertie wrote:In the BBC article they report the following "A statement on Djokovic's website said he and coach Vajda, fitness coach Gebhard Phil Gritsch and physiotherapist Miljan Amanovic had "mutually agreed" to "end their successful and long-term partnership"."

So no mention of Djokovic getting rid of, or sacking his coaching team - rather it was "mutually agreed".  So Djokovic may be putting a spin on it when he talks about shock therapy and the need to do something different.  Presumably he also has a load of worried sponsors he needs to keep happy - even though it seems like something is wrong with his head or he has just lost interest.  It is strange because Djokovic seems very aware of himself being an ambassador and role model for Serbia and I think part of his motivation was to represent Serbia in the international sporting arena.

'Mutually agreed' though can mean anything. Vajda as Becker hinted at before him may feel that Djokovic isn't training/practising so much. Novak may not like to hear that and not feel that is the issue so they part ways. Again lots of guesswork but mutually agreed is odd considering Vajda has been there from the start so it can't be that Novak doesn't rate him.

With someone worth about $0.2 billion I wouldn't extend my concern to sympathy - he should be in a good place - it is just a question of whether he has the motivation to put the same amount of effort into it.  It's just strange how quickly it has changed for him - unless winning the French and holding all grand slams at the same time ticked all the boxes for him in terms of his tennis career.  He also won the Davis Cup for Serbia.  The only thing he hasn't achieved is an Olympic Gold Medal and he seemed really choked up after losing to Del Potro.  Maybe he is started to think what next to do outside of tennis.

Ps there was all those rumours about Djokovic cheating on his wife - maybe that has something to do with it too.
PPs In response to Caledonian Craig - I agree that Becker knows what is happening and has more or less said what has been happening.

I am sorry I don't agree I don't care what he is worth. If your sympathies don't extend to anyone who has a mental health issue then sobeit . I am no lover of Djokovic I like his tennis but that is about as far as my appreciation of him goes.. never have liked him as a person. But I wish the man no harm and if he is in a bad place then I hope he finds a way back.. certainly money wont help him.

Hi Haddie-nuff, just to say I take very seriously mental health issues - having known someone who was suicidal.  I just don't think there is any evidence that Djokovic has mental health issues.  A loss of motivation is not a mental health illness.   It happens with football players (losing motivation) who become millionaires before they are barely out of their teens.

I'm not so sure NNB.. he is Number 2 in the world, and in the middle of a packed tennis calendar, and he suddenly parts company with his entire coaching team. I have watched tennis for many years and have never known a player make such a dramatic decision. I like CC think the man is in a mental mess .. I have personal experience of being in a bad place,  and if it is, as I believe it to be, and not just a loss of motivation, no amount of money in the world will help him. Don't forget Rafa went through something similar, his too was not a loss of motivation, more a loss of self belief.. he was a bundle of nerves and a total mess for sometime until he found himself again.  I do not believe Novak would have willingly parted company with his long term coach and close friend Vajda.. that man thinks the world of him. Something is very amiss but as CC has said you have to question where he is at the moment. We will see how well he does going it alone

I would still think it is more likely he fired them than not.  I don't expect they are rich and he is paying their salaries - disagreements or not it would be difficult for them to walk away from it - especially all of them at once.

One way or another, it looks like he is a total mess.  If Becker is right in saying that Djokovic is not working as hard as he used to, then no changes to his team will ever help him.  On the other hand, if he buckles up, works hard, and rediscovers his motivation, he should be able to come back pretty quick - with or without a team.

Okay Haddie-nuff - you might be right - they are all highly driven people. If that is the case then I wish him well.

Borg has always maintained that he left the sport because he had no will or desire to continue playing. Is Djokovic waiting for someone else to tell him to quit Tennis, and retire?

Hard to tell with Novak.. Rafa was unable to put on a "face" it was obvious  to everyone he had a problem and  he was a mess. Novak on the other hand is a great actor "joker" you never really know how genuine  he really  is (one of my reasons for disliking him) did he not try the acting profession for a while.? I don't believe the story he is putting out..  there is more to the it  than he is admitting...no one who has issues, whether it be mental ,motivational personal or otherwise gets rid of those who care about him at a time when he needs all the support he can get..everyone kept urging Rafa to do just that but he stuck with the what he knew and they got him through it...it doesn't add up to me.  but then I am a cynic

I hope Djokovic can clear his head and decide the relationship he wants with the Sport of Tennis in the near future.

Latest reports are that Novak says he is hoping to announce signing up a super coach in the next few weeks - someone he says who has been through the experiences he has been through.  Odd considering he had a super coach in the form of Boris Becker and dissolved that partnership and goes against what he recently called dismissing his coaches as 'a sharp shock treatment' when he made it sound like he was going to go it alone.

Well may be I'm not quite the cynic I thought I was and am a realist instead lol
More like the sharp shock came when they decided to walk out ... heh perhaps its Uncle T

It's a very strange decision by Djokovic - as I think others have said, while losing Vajda seems bizarre, getting rid of his physio guys, who have really helped him with maintaining extraordinary flexibility, is even odder.

Getting into the realms of speculation, wonder if it is linked with the rumoured marital woes and this was a group of guys that either knew or colluded with Djokovic playing away and his wife is perhaps not happy with set up? I know this is just maybe a wacky theory developed from listening to gossip, but I thought I'd throw it out there..........

timex please wrote:It's a very strange decision by Djokovic - as I think others have said, while losing Vajda seems bizarre, getting rid of his physio guys, who have really helped him with maintaining extraordinary flexibility, is even odder.

Getting into the realms of speculation, wonder if it is linked with the rumoured marital woes and this was a group of guys that either knew or colluded with Djokovic playing away and his wife is perhaps not happy with set up?  I know this is just maybe a wacky theory developed from listening to gossip, but I thought I'd throw it out there..........

All very good points - why would he be getting rid of his physio guys? Maybe he has changed his doctor and dentist too? But then if they are holding secrets - it would be easier for them to now spill the beans - as they are no longer under contract.

No name Bertie wrote:

timex please wrote:It's a very strange decision by Djokovic - as I think others have said, while losing Vajda seems bizarre, getting rid of his physio guys, who have really helped him with maintaining extraordinary flexibility, is even odder.

Getting into the realms of speculation, wonder if it is linked with the rumoured marital woes and this was a group of guys that either knew or colluded with Djokovic playing away and his wife is perhaps not happy with set up?  I know this is just maybe a wacky theory developed from listening to gossip, but I thought I'd throw it out there..........

All very good points - why would he be getting rid of his physio guys? Maybe he has changed his doctor and dentist too?   But then if they are holding secrets - it would be easier for them to now spill the beans - as they are no longer under contract.

I'm sure if that's part of the reason, and it seems plausible, decent guys leaving under those circumstances would not spill the beans if explained openly and fairly. You'd have to be very unreasonable to betray a long-term friend with whom you've had huge success if his point is something like this, 'it breaks my heart after all you've done for and with me, but she's my wife, the mother of my child, and I want to be with her longer than I play, I've got to go with a new team to win back her trust whilst I am on the road for our long term future together.'

I just feel that its all part of Novak's mental state currently. Whilst dominant he ran a well-ordered and settled ship with a team he was comfortable with and had no issues. He has admitted he mentally hit a brick wall after winning RG last year and found himself thinking what now? His training and practicing dropped off as did results, desire, confidence and the snowball effect had begun. Those are factual events (he and Boris have said as much) and getting back into the winning groove never came so easy. He has tried switching coaches and fitness trainers and long-term confident Vajda all in a time when his mind is clearly in the wrong place. Some of those he has jettisoned have been with him for most of his career - for that I would question that judgement mentally.

There were rumours. Djokovic has mentioned the importance of being with his family. Now he has jettisoned his winning team - claiming he now needs to find a new winning team from scratch - at a point when he is two weeks away from turning thirty - the recognised twilight of the career for a male professional tennis player.

After Murray and Lendl parted ways, Murray stopped winning grand slams. In his search for refinding his grand slam winning ways - he rehired Lendl and suddenly returned to winning ways.

Whatever the cause of Djokovic's issue - I think we all agree it not a physical issue.

timex please wrote:It's a very strange decision by Djokovic - as I think others have said, while losing Vajda seems bizarre, getting rid of his physio guys, who have really helped him with maintaining extraordinary flexibility, is even odder.

Getting into the realms of speculation, wonder if it is linked with the rumoured marital woes and this was a group of guys that either knew or colluded with Djokovic playing away and his wife is perhaps not happy with set up?  I know this is just maybe a wacky theory developed from listening to gossip, but I thought I'd throw it out there..........

The more I think about it, and see what others are saying elsewhere, the more this seems to make sense. She would have known these guys for years, if she's got trust issues with Djoko, and she feels that every time she's with them they might know something about her husband that she doesn't it's impossible.

barrystar wrote:

timex please wrote:It's a very strange decision by Djokovic - as I think others have said, while losing Vajda seems bizarre, getting rid of his physio guys, who have really helped him with maintaining extraordinary flexibility, is even odder.

Getting into the realms of speculation, wonder if it is linked with the rumoured marital woes and this was a group of guys that either knew or colluded with Djokovic playing away and his wife is perhaps not happy with set up?  I know this is just maybe a wacky theory developed from listening to gossip, but I thought I'd throw it out there..........

The more I think about it, and see what others are saying elsewhere, the more this seems to make sense.  She would have known these guys for years, if she's got trust issues with Djoko, and she feels that every time she's with them they might know something about her husband that she doesn't it's impossible.

It's obviously just speculation but it just seems to me to be a more straightforward reason than anything else. I did notice Jelena seeming to be reluctant to sit next to the team at a recent tournament (can't remember which), and not immediately communicating with them after Djokovic won - of course they may have all hugged later, but at the moment of victory when the camera was on her, she was away from the team and no eye contact was made.

A possible new coach


https://au.sports.yahoo.com/tennis/a/35374900/andre-agassi-tipped-to-take-over-as-novak-djokovic-coach/#page1

Andre Agassi is an example of a player who had success in tennis, had an overbearing authoritarian father - moved away from his father, fell out of love with tennis, reached a really low point in his life - then somehow found a renewed love for tennis, and worked his way back up via challengers events all the way to the top.

Not sure how much of that story relates to Djokovic - but maybe there is some overlap.

Djokovic has added Mario Ancic to his coaching team

Eastbourne champion Djokovic confirms Ancic addition.