The coach is already fired – Novak Djokovic is looking for inspiration

At the beginning of January, a few days before the tennis year began with the ATP Cup in Perth, Novak Djokovic posted a video on social media. In it, the Serb told his followers: "I, like all of you, am incredibly excited and curious about what the new year will bring."

At 37, the 24-time Grand Slam winner is entering the final phase of his extraordinary career. One of the few goals he still pursues at this point is the sole Major record, which he currently shares with Australian Margaret Court. Djokovic is also waiting for his 100th ATP Tour title, which he has been chasing for over a year now. Since defeating Jannik Sinner at the World Tour Finals in November 2023, the Serb has lost every tournament, with one exception. The exception was the Paris Olympics, which, however, is not part of the ATP Tour.

Tennis produces more losers than winners. And yet, Djokovic's dry spell is astonishing for a player who won virtually every tournament he entered for several years. This is also why he welcomed Andy Murray after his signing with the following post: "We've played against each other since we were kids. We pushed each other to our limits. We've had some epic duels in our sport. I thought our story together was over. But it turns out we have one last chapter to write. Welcome to my team, Andy Murray."

Now, just under half a year later, the Serb announces the end of his collaboration with the Scotsman via the same channels. He writes: "Thank you, Coach Andy, for all the hard work, fun, and support over the past six months on and off the pitch. It has truly been a pleasure to deepen our friendship together."

Deepening their friendship? That hasn't been the focus of the last few months. Murray and Djokovic were born exactly one week apart in May 1987. Since their junior years, their paths have crossed repeatedly.

The fact that Djokovic remembered his old rival is due in no small part to his unusual losing streak. He is increasingly losing to players who, until recently, would have hardly posed a serious problem for him. This year, he has lost 7 of 19 matches. His last opponents were Alejandro Tabilo in Monte Carlo and Matteo Arnaldi in Madrid. For the first time since 2018, he has lost three matches in a row. The former world number one is still ranked 6th.

In Madrid, he spoke disillusionedly of a "new reality." He has decided not to participate in this week's ATP 1000 tournament in Rome, which he has already won six times. Instead, as he did a year ago, he has accepted a wild card for next week's 250-player tournament in Geneva. He is apparently hoping to gain some match practice at this less competitive event before the second Grand Slam event, which begins in a week at Roland-Garros.

Who will be at his side in Geneva and Paris remains to be seen. As does the question of how long Djokovic is willing to continue traveling the tennis circuit as a shadow of himself. After splitting with Murray's predecessor, Goran Ivanisevic, he openly pondered whether it was really necessary to still employ a coach; Nenad Zimonjic traveled with him temporarily.

There was speculation in various forums about whether Roger Federer would be the next coach of the Serb. This was more of a joke than a serious idea. But it shows the spheres in which Djokovic and his supporters are now thinking. Instead of Federer, the choice fell on Andy Murray.

It wasn't the first time Novak Djokovic made headlines with a surprising choice of coach. Shortly after Christmas in 2013, he brought Boris Becker onto his team. The unlikely duo gelled surprisingly well and worked together for three years. During that time, Djokovic won six major tournaments. Djokovic's winning streak continued even after his split with Becker. He collected title after title; nothing and no one seemed able to stop him.

Djokovic's coach turnover hasn't been above average so far. He worked with Marian Vajda for decades. He won 85 of his 99 titles with the Slovak. Vajda was at the Serb's side for 20 of his 24 Grand Slam titles. Even more than his coach, he was a kind of fatherly advisor.

Federer, for example, has worked with more coaches over a similar period. South African Peter Carter was his first true mentor and a close friend. He was followed by Peter Lundgren, Tony Roche, Paul Annacone, Stefan Edberg, and Ivan Ljubicic. The only constant remained Severin Lüthi, who worked alongside Federer from 2007 until his retirement in the fall of 2022. The Bernese was not only his coach, but also his friend.

But, as with the Swiss, the question was repeatedly raised about Djokovic: How great is the coach's influence on his protégé's success? Very few players have a relationship with their coach as close as Rafael Nadal does with his longtime coach and uncle Toni.

Lüthi says a coach's job is to bring fresh impetus. He was surprised by how quickly Djokovic and Murray parted ways: "But fundamentally, I don't know enough about their collaboration to allow myself to judge. At this stage of Djokovic's career, it's ultimately about finding motivation. He's already won so much."

This was also why Federer brought his childhood idol Stefan Edberg into his circle during the final phase of his career. Other top players, like the American John McEnroe, did without a coach altogether. In the podcast "Here's the Thing," the New Yorker once said: "Coaching can be overrated, and sometimes it can be critical. I didn't have a coach traveling with me. I didn't like that."

The older a player gets, the more the role of his companions changes. The episode with Murray in Novak Djokovic's box was probably nothing more than a decorative detail, possibly also an expression of a certain helplessness. For years, Novak Djokovic succeeded in everything. Now a new generation has arrived that will likely permanently displace him. No one can prevent that.

An article from the « NZZ am Sonntag »