Novak Djokovic’s odd year continues. After parting ways with head coach Boris Becker in December and struggling in the first quarter of 2017, he dismissed the rest of his coaching staff today, some of whom have been in his camp for over a decade: coach Marian Vajda, fitness coach Gebhard Phil Gritsch, and physiotherapist Miljan Amanovic. On his official site, he described this decision as “shock therapy” as he attempts to “find the winning spark on the court again.”
Vajda, a pillar of Djokovic’s 12-major career, had worked with the world No. 2 since 2006. Gritsch said in today’s statement that he’d been with him for eight years to the day. “Novak is my best friend and my brother. I spent more time with him than with my family in the past 10 years,” said Amanovic.
Djokovic’s statement revealed that he made this decision after his most recent match: a three-set quarterfinal at Monte Carlo, where he briefly flashed his sharpest tennis of the year but still lost to David Goffin, who had never prevailed in their five previous matchups. He’s slated to play next week in Madrid, where he’s the defending champion, and he’ll be touring alone in the meantime:
I have been on the tour long enough to know how to manage daily routines and I don’t want to rush my decision. I will be on the tour alone for a while with support of my family and management. I will inform the public when I find the right person, but for now I thank you for your support and understanding.
Here’s a more thorough timeline of Djokovic’s difficulties over the last few months:
Again, let us know if you have any ideas what’s up.