Key Takeaways
- Goran Ivanišević sat down with RG and discussed a variety of topics, including what Stefanos Tsitsipas must do to turn things around
- The former Wimbledon champion revealed if anyone other than Novak can challenge Sinner and Alcaraz
- Ivanišević also opened up on the challenges he faces as a coach
Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
LONDON - We’re sitting on a bench at Wimbledon with Goran Ivanišević, the 2001 champion and now a seasoned coach. And when you sit down with Goran Ivanišević, an entertaining interview is guaranteed. Ivanišević recently started working with Stefanos Tsitsipas, a player he admired even before their partnership began. He’s brutally honest about Tsitsipas’ current struggles but remains convinced the Greek belongs in the world’s top 10.
“Stefanos needs to sort things out off the court”, says Ivanisevic during an extensive interview with CLAY and RG.
"If he doesn't, no one will be able to help him," he adds before leaving a strong statement: "Physically, he is a disaster."
Ivanišević calls the recent Sinner-Alcaraz final the greatest match in Roland Garros history and believes that, apart from Novak Djokovic, the two young stars have no real rivals.
He also challenges the idea that this Wimbledon is Djokovic’s last chance at a 25th Grand Slam, and spoke about João Fonseca, Jack Draper, and the biggest challenges of coaching.
Tsitsipas didn’t have the best Wimbledon, but he did say something interesting — to paraphrase: I need Goran Ivanišević because he always tells me the truth directly. Is that true?
“I didn’t expect him to do well. He’s just not in form — mentally or physically. His situation is clear: if he changes certain things on the court, and above all off the court, he’ll be fine. He’s too good a player not to be in the top 10. But if he doesn’t manage to change those things, then he doesn’t have a chance.”
What are the chances he’ll actually make those changes?
“That’s a good question, and I don’t have an answer. I can guarantee things on the court, the technical stuff he has to change and accept. But off the court — that’s something he has to tackle himself, one thing at a time. Like a baby climbing stairs — they don’t take two steps at once, they go one step at a time. He has to start fixing those off-court issues as soon as possible. When he does, he’ll be where he belongs. If he doesn’t, and I’ve said this six times already, no one will be able to help him.”
You mentioned technical aspects. What does he most need to work on?
“His biggest issue is his backhand, especially the slice. Technically he needs to adjust the grip a bit, and also work on his return. He recently changed racquets too. On the serve, he should stop twisting his body so much, maybe bring one foot closer to the other — but these are things you address in the off-season, not before Wimbledon. And to be honest, tennis is the least of his problems. The other stuff is much bigger. He also needs to sort out his back problems.”
After his match, in the heat of the moment, he said he was thinking about taking a break, even quitting tennis. Did you talk to him once he calmed down?
What’s the most concrete advice you can give him?
“I know how he felt here — that feeling where you’re waiting for a hole to open in the court so you can disappear from the match. I used to train seven, eight, nine hours a day and wait for my chance. And eventually, I won Wimbledon. There’s no magic wand. But off the court, he needs to take responsibility and make decisions because it all shows up on the court. You can’t play a Slam or any tournament if your head isn’t 100% in it. You need to be thinking about your forehand and backhand, not 77 other things that have nothing to do with tennis.”
You said that if he gets back on track, Tsitsipas is right behind Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic.
“He is. But honestly, no one is really right behind those three — they have the Tour to themselves. The two of them, 15 years younger than Novak, and Novak is the only one who can still challenge and beat them. Then you have the rest… I’m sure Stefanos is a top 10 player — he’s played two Slam finals, won Masters titles, the ATP Finals. He’s a great player! The only question is how much he wants it. I believe in him being between 5th and 10th. But if he keeps going like this — no chance.”
What do you make of the current top 10 in terms of quality? Draper is fourth, Fritz is fifth — not many expected that…
“Honestly, I first saw Draper when Novak played him in the first round here at Wimbledon in 2021. I liked him right away — I saw he could definitely be in the top 10. His rise doesn’t surprise me. The rest… it’s all unstable — one day someone is fifth, the next day they’re seventh or eighth. Tommy Paul, Shelton… I can’t say they’re better players than Tsitsipas. It’s actually a bit sad — they all work hard, but they’re light years behind Alcaraz and Sinner. And Novak is still there, though at the end of his career. It’s tough — you play, you train, and you know you can’t win a Slam — either one or the other will beat you.”
Do you see anyone closing the gap and challenging Alcaraz or Sinner?
“At a smaller event — maybe. At a Slam — no. I don’t see anyone who can do that — unless someone beats them up the night before (laughter). I don’t see how. Look at the Australian Open final — you had Zverev, world No. 3, a phenomenal player, and that final was a joke — Sascha had zero chance. Then you see the Roland Garros final — that was otherworldly tennis. The only one who can come between them is Novak. Maybe I’m a bit emotional, but he’s a contender to win.”
Now that the dust has settled, where would you rank that Roland Garros final — one of the top five matches ever?
“It’s hard to say. Comparing different eras is silly. Tennis then and now — it’s not the same. Fifteen, twenty years ago, cars were worse… back then, when you had those ’fat’ tires, you thought, wow, and now those tires go on bikes. For me, that was the best match in Roland Garros history. The intensity, quality, drama — it had everything! There was that 2013 semi between Novak and Rafa, when Novak touched the net… I see people saying Nadal would have no chance against Alcaraz or Sinner, but that’s nonsense. I’d bet on peak Nadal against either Carlos or Jannik. Playing Nadal is different — he’s a lefty, the ball bounces differently… But to answer your question — the Roland Garros final is definitely top five of all time for me.”
Novak, Rafa, and Roger changed how the new generation thinks about tennis. Alcaraz and Sinner are already planning to play past 35, which never used to happen. How many Slams do you think they can win?
“A lot, because they’ll split them between the two of them. The question is how long Novak plays — he’s the only one who can make life hard for them. But they’re young, they’ll play another 10 years. And they have no competition. Now it’s just about the numbers — I don’t know if they can catch the Big Three, but anything is possible — records are made to be broken. And like I said, they have no competition, so it’ll be easier. The Big Three had each other, plus Murray, Wawrinka, Del Potro… Who’s the competition for Sinner and Alcaraz?”
Could someone new emerge — Menšík is young, there’s Fonseca, maybe someone we don’t know yet…
“Sure, someone will pop up. Someone will break through in five or six years when these two are around 30 with who knows how many Slams already. Menšík is great, though still a bit inconsistent. Fonseca is fantastic, starting with his attitude — he believes he can be the best, and that’s how he plays. He goes for his shots, like Alcaraz, not afraid — when it’s tight, he won’t push the ball, he’ll go for it. He plays with flair, has all the shots, and will learn more. He can improve his serve a bit, but he’s young — he’ll learn through matches, wins, losses. He’s got time, but it’s a tough era because Sinner and Alcaraz are there. It’ll be harder, but he’ll win a Slam one day.”
What do you focus on most when watching Alcaraz and Sinner? Sinner is more consistent, but Alcaraz has won their last five meetings, though they’ve all been close.
“Sinner had three match points and served for it. In 2022 at the US Open he had match point too. In Paris, he tightened up a bit, especially on the third match point, but what Alcaraz played at the end — that was unreal. I think their matches will always be close — you won’t see blowouts. Their styles are a bit different, which makes for exciting matchups. The problem is people now expect every match to be like the Roland Garros final — they’ve set the bar as high as it gets. It can’t be like that every time, but we’ll see plenty more incredible matches.”
Where do you see Novak’s chances now? He lost 3-0 to Sinner at Roland Garros but had his opportunities…
“I felt bad about that third set — he had 15-40, two set points, and didn’t do anything wrong. I’m not saying he’d have won if he took that set, and even if he did, Alcaraz was waiting. But here, I see his chance. Looking at the draw, I don’t think no one can beat Djokovic before the semis, and he’s never lost to Sinner here. OK, Australian Open and Roland Garros, but here Novak’s beaten him twice. In my view, Novak’s the favorite, no matter how sentimental that sounds. Alcaraz has beaten him twice, but last year Novak came after knee surgery, and in 2023 we all remember how close it was. Everyone says this is his last chance — I don’t agree. Plus, he’s the best grass-court player, experienced, he knows exactly what it takes here. It’ll be fascinating.”
How do you see Novak’s near future? Sometimes he says he wants to play until the LA Olympics, sometimes he mentions struggling with motivation…
“The other day he and Tsitsipas practiced together. It was a joy to watch, especially now that I’m on the other side. When I was his coach, it was great, but you’re always focused — what will he say, what to look for. Now I could just enjoy it. Such ease of movement, ease of play — the ball flies at 300 km/h thanks to his technique and timing. If you look at that, he can play until LA. Motivation is another matter — showing up, training — he’s 38. But here, he looks ready, playing well, I get the sense he sees his opportunity. He just has to manage the nerves — sometimes that… I won’t say it “eats him up,” but it affects his execution. And it’s not his last chance — he has a shot at the US Open too. In Melbourne this year — if he hadn’t gotten injured, no way Zverev beats him, and the final with Sinner would have been interesting.”
What’s the hardest part of coaching — and what do you enjoy most?
“You enjoy it when your work pays off, when you and the player are on the same page, when there’s trust. The hardest part is dealing with all the player madness. I get it more easily because I was a player, I had my madness too. I often say — nobody here is normal, this is a madhouse, a psychiatric ward (laughter). Tennis is an individual sport — you’re alone out there. We can prepare them, but down there it’s a battle. A coach has to be a psychologist. It’s less about teaching forehands and backhands now — it’s all in the head. In a couple of years, I could probably get a degree in psychology and give proper lectures. Everyone knows how to hit, the difference is mental. When I listen to players, everyone’s on antidepressants, Zverev says he’s in a bad place…”
Why do you think that is?
“I don’t know why they put so much pressure on themselves. Maybe it’s outside expectations, society’s expectations — they can’t handle it. Zverev is good but can’t win a Slam. He had his chance in 2020 when he served for the match against Thiem. First he had the Big Three blocking him, now it’s Sinner and Alcaraz, and he’s still far off. That leads to frustration. He’s No. 3, he trains, but he’s still far.”
But it’s not just him — you say many players are struggling…
“That’s the nature of this sport. If you can’t handle it, you can’t succeed. Tennis is anything but easy — it’s brutal, tough, nobody can sub for you, no halftime like in football. That’s why you have to admire Sinner and Alcaraz — they have their teams, their path, and they just keep pushing forward without looking back.”
