World No. 1 Novak Djokovic continues to remain without a head coach after splitting from Goran Ivanisevic. To the worry of many Djokovic fans, the situation could remain the same for a longer time, however.
Nole recently commented on the split and his plan for the future. He was very clear in wanting a coach who aligned with his vision for the remainder of his career. As a result, it could take a while for him to replace the Croat. Till then, he is likely to be his on his own.
As tennis enthusiasts remain in discussion on the best move for Nole going ahead, former World No. 1 Andy Roddick also presented his view on the situation. The former US Open winner believed that the Serb could well manage without a coach given his massive experience and mental prowess.
But it’s already a weirdly framed question because, does he need a coach? Like I think my cat could coach him and do a pretty good job, probably win a bunch of matches. But, the thing is, he’s 36. It’s a weird moment where does he think he’s in there with these other three superhumans. said Roddick, speaking on his podcast ‘Served’.
But at the same time, Roddick argued that it is always good to have someone as a helping hand. With two Grand Slam tournaments scheduled in the next four months on two contrasting surfaces, a good coach would only help Nole.
I think that you would want someone, I don’t think you would do a trial run with no coach before Roland Garros and Wimbledon. If I’m Novak and won that many Slams, I would want something that’s consistent where I didn’t feel like I was getting to know someone. added the American.
Andy Roddick finds Marian Vajda a likely candidate as head coach for Novak Djokovic
With no big-name coach currently available on the market, Djokovic would either have to give a chance to someone new or go back to one of his former coaches. Marian Vajda quit the Djokovic camp in 2022 and has since been working with Alex Molcan.
Roddick was of the opinion that Vajda could be a good choice given his history with the Serb. He led Nole to 85 of his 96 career titles so far which includes 20 Grand Slam singles titles. He remains one of the most successful coaches of all time in terms of titles won with only Venus and Serena Williams‘ father Richard Williams ahead of him.
So my mind automatically goes to Marian Vajda because that’s the guy who’s in and then he’s out and then he’s sometimes back in, it seems like this consistent insurance policy. And he’s, more so than anyone else, helped develop Novak and turn him into the person and not just tag along on other successes. commented Roddick.
The American also had words of praise for Boris Becker for his stint with Djokovic. The two had a successful partnership before parting ways. He believed despite Becker’s surprisingly short stint with Holger Rune, the German could add value with his expertise.
You know another name that Novak, to his credit, really stood by during rough times, who didn’t work in his most recent coaching gig, is Boris Becker. They had a lot of success and so if I’m Novak and I have a hitting partner and I have all this infrastructure, maybe I don’t need someone there all the time. concluded the former World No. 1.
Djokovic will return to action at the 2024 Monte Carlo Masters next week and is likely to be without a coach there. With an action-packed clay season ahead of him given the 2024 Olympics being scheduled in Paris, Nole will be eager to put this coaching situation behind him and focus on his on-court goals.