Injury outlook unclear, Ivanisevic reveals crucial information about Djokovic's future

Novak Djokovic's former coach Goran Ivanisevic believes people should "never underestimate" the Serbian tennis maestro, despite the veteran's consecutive withdrawals from two tournaments and widespread concerns about his future.

The 38-year-old Serbian player participated in the first leg of the North American "Sunshine Double," the Indian Wells tournament, advancing to the round of 16. In the quarterfinal match against Draper, he fought hard but ultimately lost, exiting at the 16th round. After the match, Djokovic expressed serious concern about a shoulder injury. Subsequently, he withdrew from the 2026 Miami Open, yet expectations remained for his return at the start of the clay season. However, surprisingly, the Monte Carlo Masters issued a statement confirming Djokovic's absence from this year's event without providing specific reasons.

Djokovic's decision has sparked serious doubts about the future of his career, but Ivanisevic remains unwavering. The former world No. 2 believes Djokovic still possesses sufficient competitiveness, making it difficult to completely exclude him from the championship contention.

“If I hadn't worked with Novak, I might say it's impossible. But after knowing and observing him for five years, words like 'no' or 'impossible' simply don't exist for him… they are not in his dictionary. Everything is possible, of course it's possible. Think about his Australian Open final—he was there, you can never underestimate him. As long as his mindset is right and he is focused and concentrated, that's enough,” Ivanisevic said in an interview.

Ivan emphasized that the motivation for this 24-time Grand Slam champion stems from his love for tennis and winning. The Croatian legend stated that over the past few years, this experienced player has repeatedly been underestimated by fans and experts, yet the world No. 3 continues to maintain his dominance.

“I listen to various so-called tennis expert commentaries, and there are always people underestimating him. I don't know if these people actually watch tennis or understand it. Djokovic's motivation is simple: he loves tennis, loves being on the court, loves competing, loves winning. I've also heard he plans to play until the Olympics, and there's still time until the Olympics… he will still be among the top players. Look at how many matches he played last year, still ranked world No. 3. No amount of discussion changes that,” he added.

Normally, Djokovic would begin his clay season at the Monte Carlo Masters. He has won the tournament twice, and when his name appeared on the entry list, it was anticipated he would compete again. However, he ultimately withdrew from the event, and his return to competition remains uncertain.

Djokovic and Ivanisevic share a deep friendship and have collaborated for a long time. This duo is regarded as one of the most successful player-coach partnerships in tennis history. During his playing career, Ivanisevic was renowned for his powerful serve.

In 2018, Ivanisevic joined Djokovic's team to help improve his serve technique. In 2022, after Vajda ended his 15-year collaboration with Djokovic, Ivanisevic officially assumed the role of head coach.

Under Ivanisevic's coaching, Djokovic experienced a peak year in his career in 2023, winning the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open championships. He reached the Wimbledon final but lost to Alcaraz in a classic match. This highly fruitful partnership ultimately concluded in 2024.（Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark）