By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, Could 20, 2025
Photograph credit score: Miami Open/Arduous Rock Stadium
Novak Djokovic will probably be armed with a well-recognized confederate at Roland Garros.
Grand Slam king Djokovic introduced at the moment he will probably be coached by his long-time buddy and former doubles associate, Dusan Vemic, for each this week’s Geneva Open and Roland Garros, which begins on Sunday.
The 48-year-old Vemic, one of many greatest servers in Serbian tennis historical past, reached doubles semifinals at Roland Garros and the Australian Open throughout his enjoying days.
A highly-experienced coach, Vemic has labored with Corridor of Famers the Bryan brothers, Andrea Petkovic, Brandon Nakashima and beforehand served as an assistant coach on Djokovic’s crew to former coach Marian Vajda. Vemic was in Djokovic’s field when he gained the 2016 Miami Open.
“Dusan Vemic, the captain of the Serbian BJK Cup crew, he was in my crew just a few years in the past [is my coach],” Djokovic instructed the media in Geneva when requested about his coach. “He is right here, and will probably be at Roland.
“Boris Bosnjakovic, who has been an analyst within the crew and assistant coach, shares the upcoming tournaments with Dusan. After which we’ll see. I am not in a rush to decide on, or to know if I will have another person by my aspect or not. I do not know. I really feel good with them.”
A part of that familiarity comes from years of Djokovic’s Davis Cup and ATP Tour expertise with Vemic, who’s a revered technician and generally known as a optimistic presence within the teaching field. Even within the years Djokovic and Vemic weren’t working collectively, they stayed in contact as associates.
Djokovic, who celebrates his thirty eighth birthday on Thursday, break up with former coach Andy Murray after Madrid and opted out of Rome. Which means Djokovic is winless throughout this clay-court marketing campaign.
Requested what went flawed with the Murray partnership, Djokovic stated they initially agreed to work on a trial foundation and he felt the partnership merely ran its course.
“I can’t inform you greater than what you might have learn in our statements. We stated that we weren’t dedicated to the very long run,” Djokovic instructed the media in Geneva. “Australia had been a check. We then stated to ourselves that we have been going to work in Indian Wells and Miami. On clay, we went to see event after event. And we agreed on this separation.
“We felt like we could not get extra out of that affiliation on the court docket. My respect for Andy stays the identical. And he is even greater since I do know him higher as an individual. He has a superb tennis IQ. A uncommon frame of mind of a champion.”
Regardless of their shared data, Djokovic stated in the end the pair of Olympic gold-medal champions didn’t obtain their title aspirations.
“He sees the sport in an unbelievable method,” Djokovic stated of Murray. “However, how may I say it, we didn’t obtain collectively what we hoped to realize by way of outcomes. Typically it really works, typically it does not. We tried.”
Olympic gold-medal champion Djokovic will face veteran Marton Fucsovics in his Geneva opener tomorrow.
“There have been some days when [my training] was excellent, others when it was extra sophisticated. However all that is regular,” Djokovic stated of his preparation for Paris. “I am excited to play a match on clay. I have not performed many this season. I nonetheless have not even gained one…
“From this perspective, it’s not ultimate. I hope I can play a couple of right here. I hope to ‘construct’ my kind earlier than the principle goal on this floor that Roland-Garros represents, and to play higher than I’ve within the final month and a half.”
