Novak Djokovic’s coach confessed that his cost has been “lucky” to have Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer round. Goran Ivanisevic defined that he had no bother when it got here to motivating the world No 1 as a result of he might try this himself. And the Croat thought that Djokovic had been spurred on much more by his intense Big Three rivalry.

Djokovic was a latecomer to the rivalry that Federer and Nadal had already fashioned between themselves. By the time the Serb received his maiden Grand Slam title on the 2008 Australian Open, Federer already had 12 to his identify whereas the Spaniard had three.

But the 36-year-old crashed their celebration and began difficult his rivals for the most important titles within the sport and the No 1 rating. And Ivanisevic believes that Djokovic was fortunate to have such a powerful competitors with Federer and Nadal to assist him proceed to enhance.

“He’s a winner. He’s the guy who is self-motivating,” Ivanisevic - himself a former Wimbledon champion - stated in the course of the Entrepreneurial Attitude convention. “He had luck to have guys like Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer come before him, so they pushed each other, but he’s a born winner.”

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The former world No 2 nonetheless knew that Djokovic would have been capable of obtain greatness with out the rivalry, nonetheless, as he added: “For him, when you tell him he cannot do something, it’s even worse. Then he’s going to show you that he can do it.”

Competing towards Federer, Nadal and their previous information has paid off for Djokovic because the 36-year-old has come from behind to surpass them. It was Federer who first broke the lads’s singles Grand Slam document when he received his fifteenth in 2009 and he went on to win 20 throughout his profession.

Nadal then moved the goalposts when he picked up his twenty second Major crown and Djokovic was capable of overtake him this 12 months. He turned the primary man in historical past to win a twenty third Grand Slam trophy on the French Open and later received his twenty fourth on the US Open - standing alone within the Open Era and tying Margaret Court’s all-time document.

Djokovic additionally has probably the most all-time weeks at No 1 on this planet with 395 and counting - and the determine will proceed to extend as he presently sits atop the rankings. With the Serb solely getting higher as he will get older, Ivanisevic is aware of that he’s additionally fortunate to get to work with the 96-time title winner. “I am happy to train a genius, the best tennis player of all time and one of the best athletes in general,” he added.