Has Novak Djokovic’s coaching change had an instant impact?

Former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic has been at the centre of both immense admiration and intense scrutiny throughout his career.

Before, the spotlight revolved around the legendary trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic himself — three icons who redefined the sport. Now, with Federer and Nadal retired, the conversation has shifted. The focus is now squarely on the Serb — his legacy, his performances, and how he plans to deal with the threat of young talent in order to achieve his holy grail of winning an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam.

After calling time on his association with Andy Murray as his coach last month, Djokovic brought on board Dusan Vemic to work in tandem with his assistant coach and analyst, Boris Bosnjakovic, for the Geneva Open and Roland-Garros. The partnership had an instant impact, as Djokovic ended up winning his 100th ATP title in Geneva, beating Hubert Hurkacz in the final in three sets. 

The French Open also ended up being a successful tournament as Djokovic had a great run, reaching the semi-finals and beating world No. 3 Alexander Zverev on the way. In the semis, though, he came up against a faultless Jannik Sinner and lost in straight sets. The current world No. 1 has been in sublime form this year and didn’t give Djokovic any opportunity to strike back. 

However, Djokovic can take a lot of positives from his French Open outing, having looked injury-free and in control on the Paris clay. The coaching tactics also made sense against Zverev in the quarters, which should give him a lot of confidence going into the grass-court season. Wimbledon has been one of Djokovic’s favourite hunting grounds, and even though he has not won there in the last two years, he has reached the final on both occasions, only to be defeated by Carlos Alcaraz. 

We have all seen players decline with age, becoming injury-prone and slower. It’s no different even for the best in any discipline. If the Serbian legend wants to continue playing and get that elusive 25th Grand Slam title, it’s crucial he chooses his battles wisely. While he can still beat most young players on the ATP Tour in the shorter format — best of three sets — when it comes to the Grand Slams and their gruelling five-set matches, he is bound to find it difficult.

That said, he did reach the Wimbledon final last year, three weeks after a knee surgery, and showed signs of the same relentless mentality that we have come to admire over the years.

It’s crucial for Djokovic to collaborate closely with his coaching team and develop effective strategies against the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner — two of his most formidable adversaries at the moment. If his team can find the right formula, Djokovic could very well secure his 25th Grand Slam title to mark a fitting end to his legendary career.

For now, the recent coaching change has produced encouraging results. However, its long-term success will depend on what Djokovic hopes to gain from the partnership.

It remains to be seen whether the former world No. 1 sticks with his current coaching team for the upcoming Wimbledon Championships or brings in additional support.