Novak Djokovic\’s coach Goran Ivanisevic has opened up after his second-round defeat against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The Serb had been out of action since February. Nole was defeated in the quarterfinals in Dubai, where he played three games. Novak was deported from Australia in January. He could not participate in the Indian Wells and Miami Open due to the vaccination mandate in the US.
Novak played his comeback game at the Principality in Monaco after the French government lifted its vaccination restrictions. Unfortunately, the World No. 1 lost 3-6, 7-6(5), and 1-6 against the 46th ranked Fokina. Nole felt fatigued in the final set and did not have enough energy in his legs. Recently, Djokovic\’s coach claimed that the 34-year-old was sick before the Monte Carlo Masters.
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Djokovic\’s Coach Reveals The Serb Was Unwell
While talking to Ubitennis, Ivanisevic said Nole got sick before traveling to Monte-Carlo. He was not feeling well when he arrived in Monaco. The coach claimed Djokovic was not one hundred percent fit to compete. Ivanisevic also pointed out that the uncertainty about his participation at the Monte-Carlo played with Novak\’s mind. Moreover, the uncertainty did not allow him to prepare freely after the recent turn of events.
The government did not allow Djokovic to play in France three weeks ago. But, the French government lifted the mandate, allowing him to participate. The coach said that such things affect the players mentally. Djokovic could have played in the semifinals, but he lacked preparation. Ivanisevic added, \”And, to be honest, I didn\’t expect something spectacular from this tournament.\”
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Nole\’s coach said the Serb has four to six weeks to prepare before the French Open, during which he will feature in a couple of tournaments. Ivanisevic remarked that Djokovic is the best player in the history of tennis. He always finds a way to win and stay out of trouble. The 50-year-old shared that Djokovic\’s plan was to bagel the Spaniard during the second set.
However, he spent a lot of his energy winning it in a tiebreaker. The former Wimbledon Champ believes Novak will come back stronger in the next tournament. He had trouble finding his footing on clay in 2021 after an early exit at Monte-Carlo Masters. However, the 20-time Grand Slam champ regained his form and eventually won the French Open.
