Novak Djokovic has announced that he will no longer work with Marco Panichi.

Novak Djokovic has taken to Instagram to announce that he will no longer work with his long-time fitness trainer Marco Panichi. It marks the latest change to Djokovic’s support team following his split with former coach Goran Ivanisevic in March.

Panichi, a former long jump athlete, has worked with Djokovic for a number of years after joining his support team in 2019. He has also worked with the national tennis federations of several countries such as Italy, China, Germany, and Israel, as well as helping other players including Li Na and Fabio Fognini.

Djokovic confirmed that he and Panichi had parted ways in a heartfelt Instagram post, in which he thanked the Italian trainer for his valuable input over the years.

“Grande Marco, what amazing years of collaboration we’ve had,” wrote Djokovic. “We reached the summit, won titles, broken records. But most of all, I have enjoyed our most ordinary days of training in and out of the gym. Endless hours of ‘carciofini’ and laughs that made me feel super motivated to prepare for success.

“Grazie Romanista (as Goran calls you) for all the energy, effort and time you invested in making me the best possible player and person I can be. Much love and I will see you soon in Roma.”

Djokovic has won 10 major titles with Panichi in his corner, finishing as the year-end No 1 on three occasions during their five-year partnership. He tweaked Djokovic’s fitness regime to include exercises such as yoga and tai chi, according to The Sports Rush, while he is also said to specialise in the field of injury prevention.

Panichi recently opened up on his time working with Djokovic, branding the Serb a ‘genetic phenomenon’ and insisting that while he can do everything, not everybody can do what he does.

“Nole is genetically a phenomenon,” Panichi told Tennis World. “One capable of doing everything with simplicity and consistency, but also capable of doing things that others are prevented from doing. It can’t always be copied.

“He knows how far he can push himself and therefore has the experience to understand what his body is telling him. We support him by giving him the weapons to further develop these innate abilities. Nole is a demanding champion, he wants a lot from himself and consequently those around him must adapt to these ambitions.”

Casper Ruud finally got the better of Novak Djokovic, beating the top-ranked Serb 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 on Saturday to set up a Monte Carlo Masters final against two-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Tsitsipas won the earlier semifinal against a tiring Jannik Sinner 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to hand the Australian Open champion only his second defeat of the season.

Djokovic double-faulted on match point in his first career defeat in six matches against Ruud. The Norwegian player had never taken a set off Djokovic before, including at last year’s French Open final.

Djokovic trailed 4-1 in the deciding set but held his next serve and broke a nervous-looking Ruud’s serve to love to pull back to 4-3.

At 15-15 in the eighth game, Djokovic turned and shouted an expletive toward someone in the crowd. Chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani urged fans not to call out during a rally and did not issue a verbal warning to Djokovic despite the audible expletive, which was followed by an angry glare.

A sloppy 10th game in the deciding set saw Djokovic trailing love-40 on serve, and the eighth-seeded Ruud received the victory on his third match point.

Ruud and the 12th-seeded Tsitsipas are chasing their first titles of the year and 11th overall.

The record 24-time men’s Grand Slam champion Djokovic still hasn’t won a title this year and remains on 98 in his glittering career.

Sinner, who has three titles in 2024, looked in control in the deciding set when he led Tsitsipas 4-3 with a service game to follow. But he called for a medical timeout during the changeover, and a trainer massaged his right knee and thigh. Although a smiling Sinner shared a joke with the trainer, things got more serious in the next game when Tsitsipas broke his serve at the fifth attempt to level the score.

At the end of the next game, Sinner limped a little and clutched the hamstring area of his left leg then had both legs massaged. His movement was restricted in the ensuing game, and Tsitsipas clinched victory on his first match point when Sinner’s backhand from the back of the court went long as he struggled for balance.

“He is one of the toughest opponents I have faced so far, and to find ways when there weren’t that many, I am proud of that,” Tsitsipas said.

American actress Zendaya, British actor Josh O’Connor and other cast members from the tennis movie “Challengers” were among the crowd enjoying the sunshine at Monte Carlo Country Club. Italian fans crossing the nearby border made Sinner feel at home, but Tsitsipas enjoyed strong support after winning the tournament in 2021 and 2022.

Tsitsipas broke Sinner and held for 3-1 in a commanding first set where he used angles well to disrupt Sinner’s more rhythmical play.

The level of intensity from both players increased in the second set. A long ninth game lasting 13 minutes saw the second-seeded Sinner save five break points before holding to level the match.

He broke Tsitsipas in the first game of the deciding set and held easily.

At this point, another final looked increasingly certain. Sinner was enjoying himself and smiled to his coaching team after winning one point with an audacious sliced drop shot in the fifth game.

But Tsitsipas, who took Djokovic to five sets in the French Open final in 2021, showed trademark endurance and clawed his way back as Sinner started fading.

Serbian ‘pleased’ with 70-minute victory, next faces Musetti or Fils

Novak Djokovic was delighted with his sharp play Tuesday when he kicked off his clay-court season at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in dominant fashion. Despite his convincing 6-1, 6-2 victory against Roman Safiullin, the Serbian was quick to keep his expectations in check as he chases his first title of the year.

“It’s a great start. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and put the hopes too high,” Djokovic said in his post-match press conference. “It’s only one match, but the way I felt, I’m really pleased. It’s just the beginning of the tournament. It’s one match. I’m going to hope to work tomorrow to maintain that rhythm and focus, obviously try to perform as well as I did in the second match as I did today.”

A 98-time tour-level titlist, Djokovic is 9-3 on the season, with his best result a semi-final run at the Australian Open. The Belgrade native last month suffered an early exit at the BNP Paribas Open, where he fell to Luca Nardi in the third round.

Having failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals in his seven most recent appearances in the Principality, two-time tournament champion Djokovic will hope this is the week he can return to top form and change that record. Committing just nine unforced errors and advancing after 70 minutes Tuesday was an encouraging start for the 24-time major champion.

“I really like the way I felt today on the court, the way I was striking the ball,” Djokovic said. “I think the two, three weeks of training I had is paying off. [I had a] good training block with [Nenad] Zimonjic and with the team.

“We put in a lot of hours into thinking about the game, the movement, and things that haven’t really worked for me in the first couple tournaments of this year that I played.”

The 36-year-old, who on Sunday became the oldest No. 1 in PIF ATP Rankings history, is chasing a record-extending 41st ATP Masters 1000 crown this week. Should he lift the trophy, it would mark the top seed’s third sweep of all nine Masters 1000 tournaments.

Having won in the Principality in 2013 and 2015, Djokovic will next meet Italian Lorenzo Musetti or #NextGenATP Frenchman Arthur Fils in the third round. Last year, Musetti upset Djokovic in Monte-Carlo in the same round.

“I’m not scared of anything and anybody, but I really hope that I can get the chance to play him again, get the matchup, another matchup here,” said Djokovic, who leads Musetti 3-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. “He obviously is one of the most talented players on clay, a beautiful one-handed backhand. He’s very athletic. He can do a lot of great things. He’s one of the most promising young players not only from Italy, but generally for the world.”

Asked about a potential first meeting with Fils, Djokovic also spoke highly of the 19-year-old.

“He’s only going upwards. He’s a very promising player,” Djokovic said. “He won his first title last year in Lyon. He’s a really strong guy physically. He puts a lot of weight on his shots, particularly from the forehand, and he is very athletic as well.

“Both [Musetti and Fils] are very young, promising players. Probably both of them prefer clay as the best surface for both of them. They play with a lot of spin compared to Safiullin today, [who] was playing quite flat. It’s a different matchup for me.”

Judy Murray has an impressive coaching pedigree

Judy Murray, the mother of tennis star Andy Murray, is reportedly being considered as a potential coach for Novak Djokovic. The world No1 recently parted ways with his long-time coach Goran Ivanisevic after a lackluster start to the year. Judy Murray, known for her impressive coaching pedigree, is being eyed as a potential candidate to assist Djokovic in his career.

“It’s no secret that Judy Murray has a wealth of experience and knowledge in coaching, and her son Andy has been a fierce rival of Djokovic for many years,” a source revealed. “Novak is reportedly considering seeking help from Judy as he looks to make a change in his coaching setup.”

Judy Murray, 64, has established herself as a well-respected coach, having captained Great Britain’s Fed Cup team from 2011 to 2016 and worked extensively with British tennis’ governing body, the LTA. Despite a successful junior and senior playing career in Scotland during the 1970s, Judy decided to pursue coaching after facing challenges in her professional playing career.

In contrast, Djokovic had an extraordinary 2023 season, clinching a record 24 Grand Slam titles by winning the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open. However, his performance this year has been subpar, with early exits at tournaments such as the Australian Open and Indian Wells.

Novak Djokovic ‘considering’ Andy Murray’s mum as new tennis coach #WorldNews #Serbia #Serbian [Video] Novak Djokovic is 'considering' Andy Murray's mum, Judy Murray, as his new tennis coach after splitting with Goran … https://t.co/SvZ6vfLJGs

— Vanessa Ingraham (@VanessaEUNV) April 2, 2024

Nole has been struggling on the court
“Novak’s recent struggles on the court have led to speculation about potential changes in his coaching team,” the source added. “The tension that emerged with his coaches at Melbourne Park was particularly telling, indicating that a change might be necessary for him to regain his form.”

The potential collaboration between Judy Murray and Novak Djokovic comes at a crucial time for both individuals. While Djokovic aims to bounce back from his recent setbacks and maintain his status as the world’s top-ranked player, Andy Murray has hinted at the possibility of retiring from professional tennis due to ongoing injuries.

As the tennis world awaits further developments on Djokovic’s coaching situation, the prospect of Judy Murray joining forces with the Serbian star has sparked interest and speculation among fans and experts alike.

For Bert Critchley, it’s all about winning… and then you brought the new script writer. 🙄 #TheTour #GameServeDrama https://t.co/HSefUN2zae

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) March 22, 2024