The rise of Novak Djokovic on the tennis circuit has been nothing short of impeccable. Beginning his career at a time when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were ruling the tennis world, Djokovic waited patiently for his moment to come. Eventually, he won his first Grand Slam title in 2008 at the Australian Open. The consensus among pundits and critics has been that despite his glorious performances on the court, Djokovic has fallen short of being a ‘complete package’. The Serb once struggled to connect with his fans. Recently, his former coach, Marian Vadja, revealed some advice he gave him about fan interaction.

Over a period of time, the Serb has built a solid fanbase across the globe, thanks to his former coach. Here’s what advice the former coach had to give to Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic transformed by life-changing advice from former coach

During an interview, the former coach of Djokovic, Marian Vadja, opened up about his professional stint with Djokovic. Following this conversation, the Serb found himself embracing a new perspective. The advice had a huge impact on him.

Vadja said, “At the beginning of his career, he was not connected with the public. I often gave him the example of Monica Seles. One day, she arrived on the court with flowers. She launched them into the crowd, she made it possible to create a link, to connect with the public.” He further went on to add, “I told him: ‘Do something like that!. There is no point in having enemies.’ And sometimes, he began to imitate the other players, he became a real actor.”

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Not only on the court but also off the court, Marian has had a big impact on Djokovic. He was a long-time coach of the Serb and helped him reach his peak. Djokovic had even once highlighted how important he was to him.

When Djokovic heaped praise on his coach

In a press conference a few years ago, the 24-time Grand Slam champion opened up about the significance of Vajda in his life. He said, “Marian is more than a coach to me. He’s a family member, he’s someone that I can probably call a friend, mentor, and really a member of the family. He’s very close to me, my brother, to my parents, and to my wife.”

Vajda and Djokovic worked together for over 15 years. During their partnership, the Serb won numerous Grand Slam titles and also achieved the number 1 ranking. However, they decided to end their partnership last year as differences in opinions paved the way for their split. Nonetheless, the impact Vajda had on Djokovic will stay with the latter forever.

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