Ivanisevic: "Djokovic is the best tennis player, but I would trust Nadal with a match if my life depended on it"
The Croatian praises the Spaniard and also Federer, but assures that the Serbian is “the most complete and plays the best tennis.”
Goran Ivanisevic is one of the most authoritative voices in the world of tennis. Not only for winning Wimbledon in 2001, but also for guiding Novak Djokovic to the top of the tennis world. From 2018 to 2024, the Croatian accompanied the Serb to lift a total of 24 titles, including eight Grand Slams.
Therefore, whenever Ivanisevic speaks, he must be listened to. This time, in statements collected by Sportsklub, the Croatian not only talked about Djokovic, but also about Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. While he did not hesitate to place his former pupil at the top, he also praised the Swiss and the Spaniard.
Goran Ivanisevic chooses between Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafa Nadal
“For me, Novak is one of the greatest athletes in history, and possibly the best tennis player. If we take Federer, who plays with exquisite beauty and it’s a pleasure to watch him play even when he plays poorly, and then Nadal, who gives it his all and whom I would trust to win a match if my life depended on it,” he said before adding that “Novak is the most complete, he plays the best tennis. He's like a shark or a snake, he traps you and suffocates you, there’s no way back.”
The current coach of Arthur Fils wanted to highlight Djokovic beyond the court: “Firstly, people perceive him by what they see on the court, and that is a mistake. He is a great jokester and a person who wants to help. He founded a tennis association, foundations, he helps everyone, there’s no one he hasn’t helped.”
No Jannik Sinner, no Carlos Alcaraz at Cincinnati. Both maybe in doubt for US Open too.
This may be the best chance Novak Djokovic will ever have to win his 25th Grand Slam. pic.twitter.com/RyxoQtPuVu— Danny (@DjokovicFan_) August 9, 2026
In addition to expressing his eagerness to see the tennis player’s documentary, which premieres on August 20: “He has time and advice for everyone; he bothered me several times because he was taking care of everyone half an hour before the match, but that’s just him. And then people say: 'Look at him, he shouts...'. That’s just him, he shouts, he is a person who says what others think, and then it turns out they are better, and they are not better than him, they just stay silent... Now that his documentary is being released, I’m very interested to see what it will be like.”
The 2001 Wimbledon champion noted that Djokovic's way of being is very similar to his: “He is very similar to me in terms of temperament, mentality, space, language. His mental strength sets him apart from the rest at the top. If you lined up a hundred players without knowing who is who, in terms of tennis, they would all be very similar, you wouldn’t know who is first and who is hundredth. But when the match starts, when the shots and points are important, that’s when you can see the difference.”
“He is extreme, a genius that you can't even try to understand because you'll kill yourself. They told me at the beginning of our collaboration: 'You can't work with him if you don't understand his craziness'. That communication with him, especially during matches, seems very chaotic. It’s not easy to reach the top, and it’s even harder to survive for so long,” concludes Goran Ivanisevic with fond memories of his time on the sidelines of Novak Djokovic.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ivanisevic: "Djokovic es el mejor tenista, pero a Nadal le confiaría un partido si mi vida dependiera de ello"