By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, Could 20, 2025
Picture credit score: Miami Open/Laborious Rock Stadium
Novak Djokovic might be armed with a well-recognized confederate at Roland Garros.
Grand Slam king Djokovic introduced right now he might 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 taking part in 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 received the 2016 Miami Open.
“Dusan Vemic, the captain of the Serbian BJK Cup crew, he was in my crew a couple of years in the past [is my coach],” Djokovic advised the media in Geneva when requested about his coach. “He is right here, and might 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 am going to have another person by my facet 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 referred to as a constructive 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 incorrect with the Murray partnership, Djokovic mentioned they initially agreed to work on a trial foundation and he felt the partnership merely ran its course.
“I can not inform you greater than what you’ve got learn in our statements. We mentioned that we weren’t dedicated to the very long run,” Djokovic advised the media in Geneva. “Australia had been a take a look at. We then mentioned to ourselves that we have been going to work in Indian Wells and Miami. On clay, we went to see match after match. And we agreed on this separation.
“We felt like we could not get extra out of that affiliation on the courtroom. My respect for Andy stays the identical. And he is even larger since I do know him higher as an individual. He has an excellent tennis IQ. A uncommon way of thinking of a champion.”
Regardless of their shared information, Djokovic mentioned finally the pair of Olympic gold-medal champions didn’t obtain their title aspirations.
“He sees the sport in an unimaginable means,” Djokovic mentioned of Murray. “However, how might I say it, we didn’t obtain collectively what we hoped to attain by way of outcomes. Generally it really works, generally it would 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 mentioned of his preparation for Paris. “I am excited to play a match on clay. I have never performed many this season. I nonetheless have not even received one…
“From this standpoint, it isn’t superb. I hope I can play a couple of right here. I hope to ‘construct’ my type 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.”
