Djokovic Fires Team!

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
A voice of reason


People forget, Pepe has been on the scene for roughly 3 years

That includes the time period when he was with Becker and shredding the tour


But , several things have happened in the meantime

Personal issues with the wife whatever they may have been which has culminated in a second pregnancy

Physical decline beginning


Perhaps some burnout/lack of desire and motivation


Given all that, it makes sense Djoker would switch up his camp


The man has been grinding on and off the court for a decade, maybe the old way the with Marian et all just wasn't working for him anymore



There is word he has a new physio he has been working with since last fall...maybe as a nod to a different approach with an aging player?


Becker helped add an extra dimension ...but at the same time,he achieved his ultimate goal which was the FO and career slam so....their time ran its course


The issue now for Djokervic isn't achievement..he's done it all...the issue now is motivation and finding a reason outside of money and pride to commit to the grind


So,I can see why he would part with the old team whom he compiled as a young hungry player


The focus and motivation is different now, not to mention he is older and more mature


It all makes sense

Good post man!
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
I know of NO ONE who has fired everyone after winning four majors in a row with the same guys. Not the same way he did it.

We won't know most of what is going on for some time. The truth always comes out gradually.

How can you say this man is not showing all the signs of someone blaming everyone in the world but himself for falling off a cliff?

Djokovic has always done things his own way; he's unique.

He wasn't achieving results after he won his dream--the FO and the CGS. He lost some motivation and he's older. The getting rid of everybody on the team makes perfect sense to me given his poor results for a year and perhaps an evolved viewpoint in life where maybe tennis isn't everything for him any longer. Yes, he is responsible for his own downfall but he's getting older and things don't stay the same. He needs to find that inspiration again which he obviously isn't getting from his team any longer. It's normal IMO.

Let's see what happens. I think he'll hire some super-coach and have a bit of a second wind. He isn't going to dominate the way he did before as that's not the logical progression at this stage but certainly he can get it together to win some more titles if he's motivated. He didn't forget how to play tennis. He needs to fine-tune things again and feel inspired. He's lost some of that precision in his game. If Nadal could get back some mojo after three years of doing nothing, Djokovic can likely do same. I trust Djokovic to know what is best for him more than I trust the extreme viewpoints and nonsense theories I've read from some posters on TTW.
 

RF-18

Talk Tennis Guru
Djokovic has always done things his own way; he's unique.

He wasn't achieving results after he won his dream--the FO and the CGS. He lost some motivation and he's older. The getting rid of everybody on the team makes perfect sense to me given his poor results for a year and perhaps an evolved viewpoint in life where maybe tennis isn't everything for him any longer. Yes, he is responsible for his own downfall but he's getting older and things don't stay the same. He needs to find that inspiration again which he obviously isn't getting from his team any longer. It's normal IMO.

Let's see what happens. I think he'll hire some super-coach and have a bit of a second wind. He isn't going to dominate the way he did before as that's not the logical progression at this stage but certainly he can get it together to win some more titles if he's motivated. He didn't forget how to play tennis. He needs to fine-tune things again and feel inspired. He's lost some of that precision in his game. If Nadal could get back some mojo after three years of doing nothing, Djokovic can likely do same. I trust Djokovic to know what is best for him more than I trust the extreme viewpoints and nonsense theories I've read from some posters on TTW.

For the past 2 years people have said Nadal is done and look where he is now. Same with federer. How many times didn't people rule him out of winning another slam.

Djokovic will find a winning way. He has all the time in the world. He will find that gear he needs eventually to win.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
I'm acting like so far he's having the worst year since he was very young. When you fire everyone you are saying that they are the problem.

I've always stuck up for the guy even though I don't like his tennis.

But not this time.

So, he's having a bad year. It happens at his age. He wasn't going to win everything for 20 years! He's firing everybody to try and find his mojo and get some new inspiration. Nothing wrong with what he's doing IMO. He'll hire somebody like Agassi and probably get some mojo back. Just wait and watch.

LOL @ some of these panicky, neurotic,fictional soap opera posts. Relax. Whatever happens Djokovic will be fine. It's a win-win for him. If he can't make a comeback he's won 12 slams and made enough money for multiple lifetimes. I remember years ago he said in an interview he would be happy in his career if he could win the same number of slams Borg won. If he can make a comeback, well the positives are obvious from that.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
For the past 2 years people have said Nadal is done and look where he is now. Same with federer. How many times didn't people rule him out of winning another slam.

Djokovic will find a winning way. He has all the time in the world. He will find that gear he needs eventually to win.

Well, I wouldn't say he has all the time in the world as this is a professional sport where athletes have a certain amount of time but it's win-win for him. If he can't make a decent comeback, look what he's achieved and if he can, that's gravy for him and his fans. It's hard to imagine that he will never win a big title again.
 

Gary Duane

Talk Tennis Guru
So, he's having a bad year. It happens at his age. He wasn't going to win everything for 20 years! He's firing everybody to try and find his mojo and get some new inspiration. Nothing wrong with what he's doing IMO. He'll hire somebody like Agassi and probably get some mojo back. Just wait and watch.

LOL @ some of these panicky, neurotic,fictional soap opera posts. Relax. Whatever happens Djokovic will be fine. It's a win-win for him. If he can't make a comeback he's won 12 slams and made enough money for multiple lifetimes. I remember years ago he said in an interview he would be happy in his career if he could win the same number of slams Borg won. If he can make a comeback, well the positives are obvious from that.
I just find you position in this discussion very strange in relationship to other things you post. Usually you are on the negative side, although pretty fair.

I'm not saying you are not fair here, but to me you seem unusually optimistic.

Do you really expect someone like Agassi to come on board?

With his reputation and money he can certainly hire a lot of people, but I would think that people at the top would be quite gun-shy now.

Time will tell. I think we are going to find out more over time. I think eventually some of the people he has fired are going to talk about why. Again, the jobs his staff had may seem easily replaceable to you, but the fact is that when you get fired you have to find other jobs, and is that always so easy? I don't think so...
 

xFedal

Legend
I just find you position in this discussion very strange in relationship to other things you post. Usually you are on the negative side, although pretty fair.

I'm not saying you are not fair here, but to me you seem unusually optimistic.

Do you really expect someone like Agassi to come on board?

With his reputation and money he can certainly hire a lot of people, but I would think that people at the top would be quite gun-shy now.

Time will tell. I think we are going to find out more over time. I think eventually some of the people he has fired are going to talk about why. Again, the jobs his staff had may seem easily replaceable to you, but the fact is that when you get fired you have to find other jobs, and is that always so easy? I don't think so...
I think Noles staff that he fired were compensated heavily through the last decade. Marian vada made millions from coaching nole and the rest 6 or 7 figures almost yearly.
 

Gary Duane

Talk Tennis Guru
I think Noles staff that he fired were compensated heavily through the last decade. Marian vada made millions from coaching nole and the rest 6 or 7 figures almost yearly.
That doesn't mean that any of these guys are set for life.

People have a tendency to adjust to the amount of money they are making, and a loss of a job can be tough for anyone unless there is a guarantee of another one equally good to replace the job lost.
 

xFedal

Legend
That doesn't mean that any of these guys are set for life.

People have a tendency to adjust to the amount of money they are making, and a loss of a job can be tough for anyone unless there is a guarantee of another one equally good to replace the job lost.
What your saying makes sense but if Novak if he is a man off good will he must have compensated them before mutually splitting?
 

Noelan

Legend
That doesn't mean that any of these guys are set for life.

People have a tendency to adjust to the amount of money they are making, and a loss of a job can be tough for anyone unless there is a guarantee of another one equally good to replace the job lost.
Marjan has a daughter to whom he wanted to dedicate more of his time ( one of the reasons Djokovic hired Becker back in 2014). She is a tennis player too. Natalia Vajdova is her name.Maybe he will coach her and led her to better results. Following him through 11 years that he spent with Djok I belive he is fairly modest guy.
I'm really interested to see who will hire Gigi now , guy is best in his business ( but I have feeling he is very expensive)
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
I just find you position in this discussion very strange in relationship to other things you post. Usually you are on the negative side, although pretty fair.

I'm not saying you are not fair here, but to me you seem unusually optimistic.

Do you really expect someone like Agassi to come on board?

With his reputation and money he can certainly hire a lot of people, but I would think that people at the top would be quite gun-shy now.

Time will tell. I think we are going to find out more over time. I think eventually some of the people he has fired are going to talk about why. Again, the jobs his staff had may seem easily replaceable to you, but the fact is that when you get fired you have to find other jobs, and is that always so easy? I don't think so...

Sure I expect somebody like Agassi to come on board. Why on earth would they be gun-shy when Djokovic is an ATG and he has plenty of cash as long as Djokovic is still motivated?

Re people in his team talking, not a chance. I'm sure they signed confidentiality agreements plus I'm sure Djokovic has compensated them well.
 

Gary Duane

Talk Tennis Guru
Sure I expect somebody like Agassi to come on board. Why on earth would they be gun-shy when Djokovic is an ATG and he has plenty of cash as long as Djokovic is still motivated?

Re people in his team talking, not a chance. I'm sure they signed confidentiality agreements plus I'm sure Djokovic has compensated them well.
I'll talk to you about this in about a year or two. At this time it is pointless...
 

mxmx

Hall of Fame
That's actually funny post (esp part about" spark back" and "shock therapy" literally:D)
And no Fedal don't need Djokovic, in absence of his old great game they racking up titles (esp Federer)
Their wins mean nothing without true competition...oh...wait...that already happened
 

Gary Duane

Talk Tennis Guru
But for now you don't think Djokovic will retain a super coach in the not too distant future?
CC, I have no idea, but I was VERY impressed with his match today. Amagro was playing out of his mind, so it's not like Rafa being pressed today. Rafa was terrible, by his standards, but to a large extent it looked like the old Novak to me, and I was surprised at my own reaction. I enjoyed the match.

I have to remember that once upon a time I rooted for Fed to LOSE in every big match. That was back before 2007, when it seemed like he never lost. But now I pull for him in every match. I get a lot more passionate about guys fighting to get back to the top.

I guess I keep forgetting that when his career is over, we may never see anyone like him again. He has been unique.
 

Noelan

Legend
Their wins mean nothing without true competition...oh...wait...that already happened
They mean to ATP, specific players , and their fans. Otherwise why would their the most ardent ones be so eager to see Djokovic fall from the hights where he had been for too long (if you ask them) . Only this thread has 11 pages:eek:
 

Gary Duane

Talk Tennis Guru
For the record, I think one of the most evil things about human beings is wishing bad things for people they don't even know.

Personally I'd love to see Novak straighten out whatever problems he has been having, get on track with his tennis, then lead a long and happy life with his wife and family.

He's never done anything to deserve being hated by anyone...
 

Bartelby

Bionic Poster
Public figures always become a projection screen for a whole array of human emotion. That's why sport is astonishingly popular.

My team lost a grand final one year when I was quite young and I trained the despair of that loss from my psyche.

Unfortunately, the next year I discovered that I trained out of my psyche my attachment to the team and the sport as a whole.
 

Noelan

Legend
CC, I have no idea, but I was VERY impressed with his match today. Amagro was playing out of his mind, so it's not like Rafa being pressed today. Rafa was terrible, by his standards, but to a large extent it looked like the old Novak to me, and I was surprised at my own reaction. I enjoyed the match.
.
To me it's save to say that you have strange criteria in order to be impressed with Djok and enjoy watching his match :D he played poorly. Serve is so weak, he is late on too many FHs, BH lost large part of it's former sharpness..
 
D

Deleted member 716271

Guest
For the record, I think one of the most evil things about human beings is wishing bad things for people they don't even know.

Personally I'd love to see Novak straighten out whatever problems he has been having, get on track with his tennis, then lead a long and happy life with his wife and family.

He's never done anything to deserve being hated by anyone...

Youre a good fellow.
 
D

Deleted member 716271

Guest
Public figures always become a projection screen for a whole array of human emotion. That's why sport is astonishingly popular.

My team lost a grand final one year when I was quite young and I trained the despair of that loss from my psyche.

Unfortunately, the next year I discovered that I trained out of my psyche my attachment to the team and the sport as a whole.

Thats also why fans can be rabid and nuts.
 

junior74

Bionic Poster
To me it's save to say that you have strange criteria in order to be impressed with Djok and enjoy watching his match :D he played poorly. Serve is so weak, he is late on too many FHs, BH lost large part of it's former sharpness..

Gary is not a fan of Novak, and perhaps this makes his view less subjective? I am no Novak fan, either, and I was impressed with his performance. Not vintage Djokovic, but close. He fought for every point, won a lot of points he had no business winning (that's vintage Djokovic!), served a lot better than he has done recently, made very few of those surprising errors that we have seen from him lately. And he didn't have that sarcastic body language. He was playing to win. We must also take into consideration that Almagro played a very good match, and remember Almagro took a set from Novak last time they met, in the incredible 2015 season, also on the clay.
 

Gary Duane

Talk Tennis Guru
To me it's save to say that you have strange criteria in order to be impressed with Djok and enjoy watching his match :D he played poorly. Serve is so weak, he is late on too many FHs, BH lost large part of it's former sharpness..
Sure, but he pulled it out, and when players make a comeback it doesn't all happen at once. What can I say? I don't watch him as closely as some other players, but the guys I have liked over the years have all had bad periods.

Serve, of course, is absolutely crucial. But what has been most shocking to me this year has been the fall in his return game. I have him as the greatest returner on HCs over the last 25 years, with Murray and Agassi being very close, absolutely amazing.

This is a guy who has won around 33% of his return games on HCs for his career, and for this era that is beyond belief. It means that when he was on top you could expect him to break about 1 out of 3 games.

This year, so far, it has dropped to around 26%, which is a HUGE drop.

Something like that happened to Rafa too when he hit his worst slump, but for him the worst was the service game. No so much of a drop in return stats.

When I go here:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/stats/return-games-won/2017/hard/all/

And see Novak at around 21st place, that's a shock...
 

Gary Duane

Talk Tennis Guru
Gary is not a fan of Novak, and perhaps this makes his view less subjective? I am no Novak fan, either, and I was impressed with his performance. Not vintage Djokovic, but close. He fought for every point, won a lot of points he had no business winning (that's vintage Djokovic!), served a lot better than he has done recently, made very few of those surprising errors that we have seen from him lately. And he didn't have that sarcastic body language. He was playing to win. We must also take into consideration that Almagro played a very good match, and remember Almagro took a set from Novak last time they met, in the incredible 2015 season, also on the clay.
That's EXACTLY what I thought!!!
 

Noelan

Legend
Gary is not a fan of Novak, and perhaps this makes his view less subjective? I am no Novak fan, either, and I was impressed with his performance. Not vintage Djokovic, but close. He fought for every point, won a lot of points he had no business winning (that's vintage Djokovic!), served a lot better than he has done recently, made very few of those surprising errors that we have seen from him lately. And he didn't have that sarcastic body language. He was playing to win. We must also take into consideration that Almagro played a very good match, and remember Almagro took a set from Novak last time they met, in the incredible 2015 season, also on the clay.
I know both of you as posters and your general preferences in tennis:)
Did you see his first service game?
 

junior74

Bionic Poster
I know both of you as posters and your general preferences in tennis:)
Did you see his first service game?

Sure did, and it was terrible.
He regrouped and broke back instantly, if I remember correctly?

He was probably tight, since his performances have been way below his standards for a long stretch now.
 

Noelan

Legend
Sure did, and it was terrible.
He regrouped and broke back instantly, if I remember correctly?

He was probably tight, since his performances have been way below his standards for a long stretch now.
It has become some sort of pattern for his 2017 standards. Better players than Almagro/Simon/Busta would know to take advantage of it.

Agree with Gary D about ROS:oops:. He had not single BP against Kyrgios at IW, only one at Acapulco and he dumped it easily
 

joekapa

Legend
Gary is not a fan of Novak, and perhaps this makes his view less subjective? I am no Novak fan, either, and I was impressed with his performance. Not vintage Djokovic, but close. He fought for every point, won a lot of points he had no business winning (that's vintage Djokovic!), served a lot better than he has done recently, made very few of those surprising errors that we have seen from him lately. And he didn't have that sarcastic body language. He was playing to win. We must also take into consideration that Almagro played a very good match, and remember Almagro took a set from Novak last time they met, in the incredible 2015 season, also on the clay.
Exactly. His served very well, especially in the first set, and battled for point, and made few UE's when it counted. Nico basically hit great winners when it counted, and that's how he got the second set. The only fault to Djokovic's game, is that the "sting" of his shots was not there, compared to 2015-2016. Apart from that he played very well.

If this was Novermber 2015, we would say he played a good match, especially the comeback in the third.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
CC, I have no idea, but I was VERY impressed with his match today. Amagro was playing out of his mind, so it's not like Rafa being pressed today. Rafa was terrible, by his standards, but to a large extent it looked like the old Novak to me, and I was surprised at my own reaction. I enjoyed the match.

I have to remember that once upon a time I rooted for Fed to LOSE in every big match. That was back before 2007, when it seemed like he never lost. But now I pull for him in every match. I get a lot more passionate about guys fighting to get back to the top.

I guess I keep forgetting that when his career is over, we may never see anyone like him again. He has been unique.

Forty lashes for you! How dare you. :p How could you have wanted The Maestro to lose? :(

I haven't watched any Madrid matches so far but the Nadal-Kyrgios match later on definitely interests me and I will try and take a peek as it's on live or if I can't, I will dvr it and watch it later. It will be interesting to see how Djokovic progresses in Madrid, Rome, etc.
 
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junior74

Bionic Poster
Exactly. His served very well, especially in the first set, and battled for point, and made few UE's when it counted. Nico basically hit great winners when it counted, and that's how he got the second set. The only fault to Djokovic's game, is that the "sting" of his shots was not there, compared to 2015-2016. Apart from that he played very well.

If this was Novermber 2015, we would say he played a good match, especially the comeback in the third.

Agreed. What's missing in his game now, is "controlled aggression" when it matters. I thought he got too conservative on big points, and against someone without Almagro's carelessness (which to some extent also is his strength), he will be in trouble. I think this is confidence related. Novak is a hot contender for the RG title, because he plays well (really well in the 2nd set against Goffin IMO) and has so much room for improvement.
 

joekapa

Legend
Agreed. What's missing in his game now, is "controlled aggression" when it matters. I thought he got too conservative on big points, and against someone without Almagro's carelessness (which to some extent also is his strength), he will be in trouble. I think this is confidence related. Novak is a hot contender for the RG title, because he plays well (really well in the 2nd set against Goffin IMO) and has so much room for improvement.
I also think that Murray should be an obvious choice for taking the RG this year.
 

TheAssassin

G.O.A.T.
Agreed. What's missing in his game now, is "controlled aggression" when it matters. I thought he got too conservative on big points, and against someone without Almagro's carelessness (which to some extent also is his strength), he will be in trouble. I think this is confidence related. Novak is a hot contender for the RG title, because he plays well (really well in the 2nd set against Goffin IMO) and has so much room for improvement.
Novak isn't playing well on a lot of big points. He also tends to have really weak periods for a few games. Almagro took 5 straight games yesterday and those could have easily been crucial and ruined all the good work he did before that. Most players who aren't playing their best anymore have room for improvement but it's usually tough to expect from them to do that.
 
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