Expert Tips for Managing a Partner’s Temper During Conflict

Goran Ivanisevic, Novak Djokovic‘s coach, has once again discussed what it’s like to work with the ATP No. 1. He praises his pupil’s ability to improve every day and shares the complexity of dealing with Djokovic when facing defeat.

Djokovic’s most recent loss to Italian Jannik Sinner in the Davis Cup on November 25 highlighted his tenacity when faced with defeat. Known for his “second wind” in games, Djokovic refuses to give up and often rallies back from the brink of defeat. Ivanisevic empathizes with Djokovic’s frustration at losing.

“Who am I to get angry with him? He is the best player in the history of tennis,” Ivanisevic expressed to We Are Tennis. “Sometimes I can only get mad at him when he yells at us for no reason. When he loses a match, he always gives his best and tries hard. But it’s not easy to handle him when he’s losing.

“Tuesday night at the ATP Finals he finished late. On Wednesday we didn’t see him. To be honest, until Thursday we didn’t know what was going on. We finally found out that he was going to play.

“I think he made a good decision to stay calm. I know it’s not easy to get motivated. He won everything. He finished in the No. 1 spot. But he always finds motivation. He always wants more. He wants something better all the time.

“He chained us with handcuffs for three days. He’s not an easy guy, let’s put it this way. Especially when something doesn’t go his way. He was torturing us, pulling out our fingernails and many more things but that I can’t say. But we are still here, we are alive. I am an old man and I need to be careful with my heart. We are here to make it feel better and to perform better. Sometimes it’s very complicated.”

Ivanisevic Knew His Client Would Win the ATPs

Ivanisevic confessed that when Sinner beat Holger Rune, which gave Novak access to the semifinals of the ATP Finals, he had no doubt that Djokovic would take the title. And indeed, Djokovic secured the championship in straight sets by defeating his rival 6-3 and 6-3.

“From that moment on I knew Novak was going to win the tournament. When the real Novak Djokovic hits the court, then no one can play with him.”

How to Understand Djokovic’s Workings?

Ivanisevic draws comparisons to paint a clearer picture of Djokovic’s day-to-day life in tennis, likening the legendary player to a business owner seeking peak performance from the company he controls.

“A good analogy would be to name Novak Djokovic as a CEO of a company,” Ivanisevic said. “He seeks and demands profits. Those profits distinguish him from others. Like losses in a company, if he loses, he loses market share, resulting in a drop in the rankings. Nole, like any elite player, finds this too difficult to handle.”

“It is very difficult, but he wants to improve. That’s the good and the bad for me as a coach and for the rest of the team. I think he improved a lot his volleys, his game and position at the net. He feels comfortable at the net. In the US Open final he played two or three of the most important volleys in the final against Medvedev. He’s not afraid to go to the net. He’s hitting his forehands much harder. On serve, I think on the second serve, he’s sometimes over 200kph. He’s just going for it.”