Should Ljubicic get credit for Federer's success?

[Shady_Sawyer]

I would attribute Federer's recent success to Ivan Ljubicic. He is the only noticeable change in AO 17 Federers camp. This guy had only approximately 1 year to work with Federer and he is producing results unlike Edberg who was a big waste of time who was on the team for approx 2 years and never got anything other than runners up trophies. A coach should get a player a grand slam within a year. If not the coach should be replaced. That's what I think. I definitely would give 100% credit to Ivan because Federer was a choke monster throughout the last 10 years. What do you think guys?

 

[QuentinFederer]

He deserves a share of the credit. He has had a positive impact on Roger, especially on the backhand.

 

[Fedfan34]

I would attribute Federer's recent success to Ivan Ljubicic. He is the only noticeable change in AO 17 Federers camp. This guy had only approximately 1 year to work with Federer and he is producing results unlike Edberg who was a big waste of time who was on the team for approx 2 years and never got anything other than runners up trophies. A coach should get a player a grand slam within a year. If not the coach should be replaced. That's what I think. I definitely would give 100% credit to Ivan because Federer was a choke monster throughout the last 10 years. What do you think guys?

Fedberg improved Rogi's volleying game which was crucial to that Wimby 2014 final, and I'd even say it contributed to his victory at the Aussie.

But Ljub improved Rogi's fitness, backhand, and belief. Most importantly, his belief. That is priceless.

 

[4-string]

Sometimes I wonder if some posters here have their "member since" and birth dates mixed up.

 

[VaporDude95]

Ljubicic is the only coach, apart from Carter, that actually has a killer instinct. Federer needed someone who wasn't a "nice guy" so to speak, like Annacone/Roche/Edberg. That's the biggest difference

 

[ChrisRF]

Well, I agree with OP that Edberg was massively overrated by many Federer fans, and that Becker easily won the “battle of coaches” against him.

But it is disrespectful to call Edberg a “waste of time”. Federer was better in 2014 than in 2013, which can be due to healing his injury or his new racket, but also Edberg COULD have contributed something.

However, his volley game was already very good before and also had lapses here and there during the Edberg time. So it’s debatable if he helped Federer, but cannot be ruled out.

The same can be said about Ljubicic tennis wise (maybe concerning the improved one-handed backhand), but he definetely seemed to be a positive element regarding the mental things. I was happy how he acted in Federer’s box during the Australian Open and how interested he really seemed to be in Federer’s success. In fact, he already was a big admirer of Federer during his active career.

 

[Dilexson]

Oh please..
He was runner up all those times cause he was competing against another ATG at his best.

 

[Bukmeikara]

Ljubicic had his impact but I wouldn't say it was a major one. I think that Roger saw in him a former friendly Pro whom can help him as a hitting partner, few tips here and there and overall someone to whom you can say your thoughts out loud. Federer is just the perfect player and at this age it's really hard to believe that Ivan would say something that he didn't heard before.
The one thing that Roger had in his box that he didn't in the past were the two smaller children(girl and boy) cheering for him - maybe they are the secret weapon.

And also the Edberg effect was visible - Roger shortened the points and started to go out at the net a lot more. One way or another Fed started to realise that the baseline ralies with Djokovic, Murray and Nadal are not in his favour anymore. SABR was also suggested by Stefan, I think Roger mentioned it in an interview. Not to mention that Stefan is an ATG and he can always speak on past experience how to handle big pressure moments, difficult spots and plenty of other things that I can't even think about.

 

[Tennis_Hands]

If he is on his team he has valuable things to offer, so, sure, he is part of the success.

 

[AiRFederer]

Of course he should get credit. Why is this even a question? Edberg should get some too, it is not one or the other.

 

[scotus]

Ljubicic is the only coach, apart from Carter, that actually has a killer instinct. Federer needed someone who wasn't a "nice guy" so to speak, like Annacone/Roche/Edberg. That's the biggest difference

I wouldn't say that Ljubic was the only guy with a killer instinct. Edberg, for example, did have an immense killer instinct but showed it with the stick of his volley rather than with any kind of aggressive oncourt demeanor.

But I do think Ljubic may have instilled some eye-for-eye, tooth-for-tooth type of retaliatory attitude and some feisty aggressiveness that Fed had lost after becoming a gentle champion for so long.

I was actually glad to see Roger display more aggressiveness, go more for his shots, and even take a retaliatory MTO against Stan and do what he thought was necessary to win the title against Rafa. Taking MTOs at crucial points is what I usually associate with Rafa and Novak, not Roger. It showed me how important the 18th title was to him and that he was willing to do all he could under the rules of the game.

 

[VaporDude95]

I wouldn't say that Ljubic was the only guy with a killer instinct. Edberg, for example, did have an immense killer instinct but showed it with the stick of his volley rather than with any kind of aggressive oncourt demeanor.

But I do think Ljubic may have instilled some eye-for-eye, tooth-for-tooth type of retaliatory attitude and some feisty aggressiveness that Fed had lost after becoming a gentle champion for so long.

I was actually glad to see Roger display more aggressiveness, go more for his shots, and even take a retaliatory MTO against Stan and do what he thought was necessary to win the title against Rafa. Taking MTOs at crucial points is what I usually associate with Rafa and Novak, not Roger. It showed me how important the 18th title was to him and that he was willing to do all he could under the rules of the game.

Yeah that's what I was referring to. That grit and fire is what Federer needed in a coach that he wasn't getting so much of in the past. He needed a Brad Gilbert type which he found in Ivan Ljubicic.