Marco Panichi and his experience with Djokovic: "Not everything was hearts and flowers"

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The Novak Djokovic team suffered some significant losses this past spring. Marco Panichi, the fitness coach who had been assisting him since 2017, unexpectedly found himself off the board. The Italian, currently working with Jerry Shang, gave an interview to Tennis Majors where he recounts his experience with the Serbian over six seasons where they broke through his ceiling and turned him into the greatest tennis player of all time. An outstanding task that will mark him for life and left him with a load of good memories.

“It was an incredible experience, an incredible journey,” title Panichi, 59. “I learned a lot during those days, how to be more professional and focus on what we had to do. I learned to be ready to organize Plans A, B, and C if necessary, with top athletes, there are always many things happening, many things going on behind the scenes, so you always have to be ready to change plans at the last minute. That said, the best thing I take is the relationship I have with a great person,” acknowledges the coach.

What peculiarities can you highlight about the great champion from Belgrade? What sets him apart from other athletes? Or what has he worked on better than anyone else to get where no one else had reached? “Every player is different, every athlete has their needs and different playing styles, the good thing in this case is that I was always able to implement the discipline and focus that Novak needed at each moment. I will tell future players about how Novak does things, I am sure this will be of great help to them, especially to young players,” states the specialist.

“With a player of his stature, there is always a lot of stress, you have to deal not only with the player but with the entire organization. A player like Novak is like an industry, the main source of stress. Furthermore, an elite player like him always pushes you to do more, more and more, but it's part of the game. I always tried to build a bond with the player, understanding the communication channels that person needs compared to others. Our job is not just running, jumping, and all that, you also have to earn his trust, something essential for the relationship,” he explains in detail.

THE EXPERIENCE OF HIS LIFE

Although at the moment Panichi is working with another elite player like Jerry Shang, the 19-year-old Chinese destined to be the best player in his country's history, both he and we know that no experience on tour can compare to accompanying the greatest champion of all time for six seasons, a man who not only became the best but also made others better. Although he also suffered short-circuits on the court, like anyone else.

“We always knew it wasn't personal, we knew that sometimes he needed those moments to perform at his best,” Panichi resolves when asked about the heated moments in matches where Novak has to turn to his own box with a somewhat bellicose attitude. “We knew how his mind works, we knew when to say something to him or when not to say anything. Novak is the type of player who sometimes needs to get that out of his system,” contrasts the Italian with the voice of experience.

In conclusion, Panichi draws from this journey a more than positive conclusion, with the good and not so good moments, celebrating that fate allowed him to join his path with the Serbian for so long. “I stick with the training blocks, those training weeks were beautiful, we shared many things on the court but also off it. We had many memorable moments, although there were also moments when the pressure rose, and Novak turned into a pressure cooker, where the water starts to boil, and it is necessary to lift the lid. It wasn't all hearts and flowers, of course, but it was a privilege to work with him,” he points out.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Marco Panichi y su experiencia con Djokovic: “No todo fueron corazones y flores”