Novak Djokovic’s former coach Goran Ivanisevic has said he would never write off the Serbian and he feels his pupil is in the same category as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz when he is in full flow despite being 37.
Djokovic could not add to his Grand Slam tally of 24 in 2024 as Sinner and Alcaraz shared two Slams each. However, the former World No.1 won the elusive Gold medal at the Paris Olympics after beating an in-form Alcaraz in the summit clash.
Djokovic recently made it to the Shanghai Masters final but could not cross the final hurdle against World No.1 Jannik Sinner. The Serbian then decided to withdraw from the Paris Masters as well as the Nitto ATP Finals due to an injury concern to end his season.
“I can’t tell if he is motivated and how much, but the moment he decides to play, it means he is motivated. Sinner and Alcaraz are well above the rest, but I put Novak in the group with them – when he’s really playing, he’s still the best in the world, in my opinion,” Ivanisevic told Sportklub.
“Another thing is how much he wants to play and when – we saw it at the Olympics… If he goes on the field, he can still win a slam. It will also depend on what his rank will be, what kind of draw will fall, that is. when he has to play with Sinner or Alcaraz… There are many factors, but can Novak make it happen? Yes, he can. You should never write him off, I would never do that,” Ivanisevic added.
Djokovic will look to make a fresh start in 2025 and go all the way in the Australian Open, which he has won on a record-breaking 10 occasions.
