In a significant coaching move on the ATP Tour, world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas has announced the addition of Goran Ivanisevic, formerly Novak Djokovic’s long-time coach, to his team for the grass-court season. This hiring comes mere weeks after Ivanisevic’s high-profile departure from Djokovic’s highly successful camp in March.
Ivanisevic’s New Role with Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas, seeking to elevate his game, particularly on grass, confirmed in late May 2025 that he has brought Goran Ivanisevic on board. The 2001 Wimbledon champion will begin coaching Tsitsipas for the upcoming grass-court swing, a critical period leading up to Wimbledon. This marks Ivanisevic’s return to the ATP Tour after a brief stint coaching WTA player Elena Rybakina earlier in the 2025 season, which dissolved amidst some controversy. Tsitsipas’s decision to enlist a coach with Ivanisevic’s Grand Slam-winning pedigree and experience with a dominant force like Djokovic signals a clear intent to challenge for major titles.
The End of an Era with Novak Djokovic
Goran Ivanisevic’s partnership with Novak Djokovic spanned five highly successful years, beginning in 2019. During their collaboration, Ivanisevic played a pivotal role in guiding Djokovic to nine of his record 24 Grand Slam titles. This remarkably fruitful coaching relationship concluded in March 2024, when Djokovic announced their amicable split. The end of their tenure sent ripples through the tennis world, given the consistent success they had achieved together. Ivanisevic himself expressed a need for a “U-turn” after his intense and successful period with Djokovic, stating he never envisioned coaching on the WTA Tour but accepted the Rybakina offer before joining Tsitsipas.
Addressing the “Sinner’s Ex-Team Member” Query
While the user’s prompt mentioned Jannik Sinner, Goran Ivanisevic was not directly an ex-team member of Jannik Sinner. However, there has been a notable trend of top players, including Sinner, recruiting former members of Novak Djokovic’s extensive support staff.
Jannik Sinner’s Recruitment of Former Djokovic Staff
In September 2024, Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1, made headlines by hiring two former members of Novak Djokovic’s team: fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio. This move by Sinner followed his parting ways with his previous physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi and fitness coach Umberto Ferrara. Panichi had been part of Djokovic’s team from 2019 until early 2024, while Badio worked with Djokovic until 2022. Sinner welcomed them to his team shortly after being cleared in a doping test row, where trace amounts of a banned substance were found, which he attributed to a staff member’s error.
The recruitment of Panichi and Badio by Sinner, alongside Tsitsipas’s acquisition of Ivanisevic, highlights a trend where top players seek to integrate proven expertise from highly successful teams, particularly those associated with a dominant figure like Novak Djokovic. These strategic coaching changes underscore the continuous quest for competitive advantage at the elite level of professional tennis.
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