Reviving their rivalry, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal faced each other for the 59th time in the quarterfinals of the 2022 French Open. As the match was scheduled for the night session, fans anticipated a win for Djokovic. However, it was the Spaniard who outplayed the Serbian.

Even though Djokovic’s defeat came as a shock for many, that didn’t seem to be the case with his coach, Goran Ivanisevic. Instead, he opted to contradict the Serb’s opinion of preferring night sessions on clay courts.

Goran Ivanisevic disagrees with the opinion of Novak Djokovic

Prior to the blockbuster clash, Rafael Nadal had asserted that he doesn’t like playing on clay at night. Giving reason to his opinion, he further asserted that humidity and lower bounce, coupled with extreme conditions, can be detrimental to his style of play. While Nadal opposed night sessions, the world no.1 had a different opinion. Djokovic said, “All I will say is Rafa and I would make different requests.”

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While Goran restricted himself from commenting on Djokovic’s statement prior to the match, he opened up about the same after its conclusion. Contradicting the Serb’s opinion, Goran called it “complete and utter nonsense.”

“I just want to say one more thing about which I did not want to talk about before the match. It is complete and utter nonsense that for Novak it was better to play the night match…”

The warmer the better for Djokovic- Goran Ivanisevic

Considering Djokovic’s statement, the tennis world anticipated a strong performance from the defending champion. However, during the match it was obvious that Djokovic was struggling with his rhythm on the court.

Disappointed by Djokovic’s game, Goran said, “Novak needs to focus on himself. It was like ‘oh, Rafa’s ball won’t bounce (high)’, but Novak’s ball was not as effective as well. “

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Giving his opinion on Djokovic’s game, Goran said, “Novak likes it when it is warmer, because he can get more free points with his serve and because his ball travels to the ball quicker…” 

Djokovic’s loss halted his title defending campaign. However, Nadal continued his good form as he defeated Alexander Zverev in the semifinals. He is eyeing his 14th French Open title as he steps up to face Casper Ruud in the finals today.