‘More optimistic that I will win…”: Novak Djokovic’s coach gives ‘tough’ US Open participation update

With Novak Djokovic’s US Open participation clouded in doubt, the Serb’s coach Goran Ivanisevic decided to give an update but with a pinch of salt. Speaking to Telegraf.rs, Ivanisevic quipped that there was a bigger chance of him winning Umag (Croatia Open) than Djokovic being allowed to compete at the US Open. “I am more optimistic that I will win Umag, if Tomislav gives me an invitation”, he said.

“A tough and a sad year, it started with a catastrophe in Australia. I think the ATP decision not to reward points at Wimbledon was totally wrong and ridiculous”, he further added.

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Having been coaching Djokovic since 2019, Ivanisevic is also a Grand Slam champion, winning Wimbledon in 2001. “I never thought that I would have more Grand Slams as a coach than as a player. As long as Novak is playing, I have no doubt that there will be more Grand Slam titles”, he added.

Having recently won Wimbledon, Djokovic is now only one Grand Slam title behind Rafael Nadal, who became the most successful men’s player of all time by winning the Australian Open and French Open earlier this year. Due to the stringent vaccination laws in the US, Djokovic’s looks set to miss the Grand Slam event and he also recently revealed that he won’t be getting vaccinated.

Speaking after his Wimbledon win, he said, I’m not vaccinated and I’m not planning to get vaccinated so the only good news I can have is them removing the mandated green vaccine card or whatever you call it to enter United States or exemption”.

“I don’t know. I don’t think exemption is realistically possible. If that is possibility, I don’t know what exemption would be about. I don’t know. I don’t have much answers there”, he further added.