By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday March 1, 2022
Novak Djokovic has parted ways with the coach that has helped guide him to each of his 20 major titles.
Photo Source: AP
Novak Djokovic will be without longtime coach Marian Vajda during the 2022 tennis season. The news, reported by Serbian journalist Sasa Ozmo for Tennis Majors, comes in the midst of what is already a difficult year for the 20-time major champion.
Djokovic was deported from Australia and missed the Australian Open in January, and has only played one event in 2022 due to his decision to remain unvaccinated (Dubai last week, where he lost in the quarterfinals). On Monday Djokovic’s latest run of 79 weeks as ATP No.1 (a record 361 overall) came to an end when he was overtaken by Daniil Medvedev.
Vajda was not in Melbourne with Djokovic this year, or in Dubai last week. Djokovic has been working with the Serbian legend since 2006 and Vajda has been a part of all of the Serb's 20 Grand Slam titles.
The pair parted ways for about a year in 2017 and 2018, with Vajda agreeing to return in April of 2018.
The rest of Djokovic’s team will stay the same. Goran Ivanisevic as coach will work with physiotherapists Ulises Badio and Miljan Amanovic, and fitness coach Marco Panichi.
It is not clear when Djokovic will play next. It does not look likely that he will be able to enter the United states for next weeks’ BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, or the Miami Open, which begins March 21
Reportedly, the split was agreed upon after last year's ATP Finals in Milan.