Djokovic prepares for French Open tilt without 'friend' Ivanisevic

Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic continued his preparations for the clay court season on Thursday after announcing a split with coach Goran Ivanisevic.

Ivanisevic, who claimed the singles title at Wimbledon in 2001, joined Djokovic's team in 2019 and helped the Serb win 12 Grand Slam titles.

Djokovic revealed the split with the 52-year-old on social media and posted a picture of himself and Ivanisevic playing the board game Parchisi.

"Our on court chemistry had its ups and downs, but our friendship was always rock solid," said Djokovic.

In fact, I'm proud to say (not sure he is) that apart from winning tournaments together we also had a side battle in Parchisi going on ... for many years.

"And that tournament never stops for us. Sefinjo, thanks for everything my friend. Love you."

When Ivanisevic was added to the Djokovic camp, his rivalry with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer was in full flow.

Djokovic, 36, credited the Croatian for improving the variety and consistency of his serve.

“You also brought lots of laughter, fun, year-end No 1 rankings, record-breaking achievements and 12 more Grand Slams [and a few finals] to the count," Djokovic added.

Ivanisevic – renowned for his volatility during his playing days – never shied away from highlighting the challenges of working with Djokovic.

“He’s not an easy guy, let’s put it this way," he said after last year's French Open crown.

Read more on RFI English

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