As the ATP announced Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi as the 2023 Coaches of the Year, Novak Djokovic expressed discontent with the decision, igniting controversy within the tennis world.
The revelation of Cahill and Vagnozzi’s win over nominees such as Craig Boynton, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Bryan Shelton (Ben Shelton’s father), and Djokovic’s own coach, Goran Ivanisevic, prompted Djokovic to voice his disappointment on Instagram.
“Congratulations to Darren and Simone for a great season with Jannik,” wrote the world No. 1, expressing his discontent with a graphic of the announcement. Djokovic continued by questioning the criteria, suggesting that even after a successful year, his coach Ivanisevic wasn’t considered despite monumental achievements.
Comparing the seasons of Jannik Sinner and Djokovic, it’s clear Djokovic’s dominance surpassed Sinner’s success, prompting discussions about the fairness of the decision. Despite Djokovic’s consistent high performance and significant victories, his coaching team hasn’t received recognition since Marjan Vajda’s win in 2018.
The controversy deepened as Djokovic highlighted past instances where recognition eluded his team, despite exceptional achievements. As an eight-time Year-End World No. 1, Djokovic expressed his dissatisfaction, considering Sinner’s Coach of the Year win and his own accolades.
😯 Djokovic on IG, on the ATP ‘Coach of the Year’ Award:
“Goran, I guess we need to win 4/4 slams in order for you to maybe (just maybe) be considered coach of the year.
Winning Year-End #1, 3GS, WTF and making history of this sport is not enough, my dear coach”
— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) December 14, 2023
While Sinner’s rise in the rankings and notable victories drew attention, Djokovic’s outstanding achievements and dominance in the sport raised questions about the selection process. The debate now lingers over who truly deserved the Coach of the Year award, sparking discussions within the tennis community about fairness and recognition.
Novak Djokovic in 2023
WWWWWWLWWW Now the world no.1, Novak played his last match on the 25th of November when he surrendered to world no.4 Jannik Sinner 6-2 2-6 7-5 in the Rubber 2 of the Davis Cup (draw).
Currently, during this season the Serbian has achieved a compiled 56-7 record. Djokovic has won 7 titles in 2023 in Adelaide, Australian Open, French Open, Cincinnati, U.S. Open, Paris and the Nitto ATP Finals. The Serbian was the finalist in Wimbledon.
Novak Djokovic |
| Embed from Getty Images |
