Former US Open champion Samantha Stosur believes Novak Djokovic “shaking things up” in his coaching setup makes sense, while claiming his split with Goran Ivanisevic is “really his own fault.”
The retired Australian star argued coaching Djokovic “wouldn’t be the easiest job in the world” because of the pressure and highlighted how the Serb has set the bar so high for himself.
Novak Djokovic announced the surprise news last week that his massively successful partnership with 2001 Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic had come to an end. The former world No 2 joined his coaching team in June 2019.
Speaking at a press conference in Belgrade for a documentary on his former mentor and coach Nikki Pilic, Djokovic addressed Ivanisevic’s departure.
“Our separation has been positive, as positive as a separation can be. We have come to a point where we’ve exhausted our cooperation after almost five years,” said the world No 1, who will turn 37 in May.
“Together, we’ve written history of our sport, we have won Slams, ended seasons as No 1 in the world, but we went through trials and tribulations as well – disqualification at the US Open, deportation from Australia.
“I will always remember that he was there for me as a person, as a human being, first and foremost, and that he brought the right set of values into our relationship. That kind of chemistry was followed by great results. I wish Goran all the best.”
The 24-time Grand Slam champion also admitted he did not “have a clear idea who a new coach would be, or whether there will be one at all.”
Speaking on The AO Show podcast, Stosur — a former world No 1 in doubles and No 4 in singles — gave her thoughts on Djokovic’s coaching situation.
“Coaching relationships do have that time frame. You spend a lot of time together, on and off the court,” said the 40-year-old, who retired in 2023.
“Sometimes hearing that different voice, might be the same messaging, but just hearing it from a different person, said slightly differently, who knows? But I mean, coaching Novak wouldn’t be the easiest job in the world. You’re expected to win every week of the year, right?
“So, if you lose a couple of matches, it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, what’s going on?’ Whereas that’s, you know, such an unusual position to be in. He’s expected to win every single week. So, there’s a lot of pressure on a coach.
“So, it kind of makes sense that he’s shaking things up, because he’s obviously he’s not playing to what we are used to, I suppose, pretty high bar. And he set it for himself. So it’s really his own fault.”
Stosur defeated Serena Williams in the final of the 2011 US Open to claim her only Grand Slam singles title, while she also secured seven majors across women’s and mixed doubles.
