THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 11, 2021

Goran Ivanisevic

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How does it feel after another epic triumph for Novak?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It's great. I mean, I am proud as a part of the team, as a coach, as a friend, whatever it is. I mean, he's writing a history of tennis. Was not the most beautiful final, but a lot at stake in that final. He was going for third in a row, 20 altogether.

Matteo for the first one.

After he lost in the first set, it was very important that first two games in the second set when he broke, then he got back.

Feels great. What can I say? Unbelievable. I won this tournament as a player, now I won as a coach. I don't have to come anymore (smiling).

Q. Can you talk about the importance of the serve and volley? Was that something he worked on before coming into the tournament?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Actually a lot of people underestimate his volleys. He is not a serve and volleyer. He's never going to be serve and volleyer. He likes to play doubles. He has very solid volleys. He improve his serve. When he's against Shapo, he was serving a lot because he felt great at the net.

Today we also talk before the match that sometimes is good because Berrettini is the guy who chips return, he doesn't hit all the time. It's good sometimes to mix it up and come in. That's what he was doing.

But Novak's volleys are improved a lot in past couple of years. He's a not bad volleyer when he wants to come to the net. Sometimes he doesn't want to come to the net.

Q. From the second Novak won Roland Garros, there's been so much talk about the possibility of him completing the Golden Slam. As a team, how are you managing the pressure that comes with that? Novak has been under pressure his whole life, but this is something literally no man has ever done. How are you handling that? Was there extra pressure at Wimbledon this fortnight?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Very, very strong tablets I can recommend you. They are very good. Very relaxed (laughter).

You know, like I say so many times, even before I was in his team, if somebody can win a Golden Slam, that's him. Working with him is a privilege, is honor, is everything, but is not easy. It's a lot of pressure. Final is not good enough. We count only wins.

Yes, it's pressure. It's not easy. But it's fun. It's challenge. He is writing a history. I mean, unbelievable. When he won French, yeah, sure, he came here very confident, played with a lot of confident, played good. Some matches he didn't play well, but still won. That's why he's such a champion.

This one was huge. This one was huge. This is 20 to tie these three unbelievable guys. Now going to US Open, first time in his career, winning three in a row in the same year, having chance to win four. I mean, that would be unbelievable. Rod Laver did the last time.

Nobody expected in the 21st Century that would be possible, but it's possible. We are from Balkan. People from Balkan, everything is possible. When nobody expect anything, we create everything. We are very, very special, special people there.

Q. Is 30 slams possible? 35? What is the ceiling for Novak Djokovic?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: To be honest, I don't know. To be honest, with him, I don't know.

He is better and better. He's every day better competing. He's unbelievable competitor, unbelievable. Something new every day. Even when he's not playing the best tennis, he's winning. So imagine when he's playing the best tennis, is impossible to beat him.

Everything is possible. I'm not going to say it's 30 because it's long way. But five, six, seven years ago we were talking about Federer, only about Federer. Now you have Nadal and him competing who is going to be the best ever.

For me Novak is the best ever. He's writing history. He's going to do it in US Open. I strongly believe he's going to do it, he's going to win all four in one year. Then I think story's over.

Q. A question about the G.O.A.T. debate. You just spoke about it. Is this finally over?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: For me was over a long time ago. It's just who you like more. Between these three guys, 60 Grand Slams. It's unreal. Maybe you like Nadal, Federer more, maybe somebody else.

For me, not because I'm here, before I was member of the team, for me he was the best. I say he's the only guy who can win four in a row in the same year. I don't know. If he wins US Open, I think it's over.

But Nadal is going to fight. Nadal is going to come to French next year. He wants to win more. But for me Novak is the biggest ever, he's gonna best, he's biggest. I don't even have to debate about that.

Q. Novak, in the form he's in, in particular in the state of mind and confidence he's in, if you, Goran the tennis player in your prime, were taking to the court against him now at the US Open, say, how would you approach it? How would you make yourself believe that you could win?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: To be honest, I can't answer that because it's impossible that even you can believe that you can beat him because the guy is unbeatable at the moment. When he's like this, when you see he is not playing well, it was tight also against Shapo little bit, but still he comes up with some unbelievable shot, he produces some unbelievable things on the court. He's amazing. Every day something new, something better, better, better. And he's not going to stop. He just doesn't want to stop.

He's always saying, I going to reduce the schedule. But he wants to play. He likes to be on the court. Even today again, the crowd, it's normal they were for Matteo, they want him. But still, you know, he's amazing. He doesn't want to go. He's like in the movies. You have to kill the guy 27 times and still he gets up and you have to kill him again and he gets up, he gets up. He just, you can't.

This is great. I'm proud to be there and to witness that, to be part of that that is going to make history, which I strongly believe he will do it.