Ivanisevic coaches Tsitsipas: The double challenge of grass redemption and the "parent-coach" conundrum

It is reported that Tsitsipas, who was knocked out in the second round of the French Open, will face Djokovic's former coach from next weekIvanisevic worked together to prepare for the grass court season. As soon as the news broke, the tennis world immediately realized that this was no ordinary cooperation - the Croatian "service cannon" needed to save not only the Greek talent's 18-month competitive trek, but also the famous "West Daddy Problem" in professional tennis. The tactician, who brought Djokovic back from the trough to the top, is now at the crossroads of technical recovery and personnel management.

When Djokovic suffered a recurrence of an elbow injury and technical difficulties in 2019, Ivanisevic brought more than just a trademark serve makeover. According to team insiders, its coaching philosophy contains three iron laws: technical adjustment must "see blood and seal the throat" (such as completely reconstructing Deyo's second serve), psychological intervention pays attention to "fighting poison with poison" (often using fierce words to stimulate players' morale), and absolutely rejects third-party intervention decisions. This aggressiveness worked wonders at Wimbledon 2021, when the winning percentage of the final soared from 67% before Ivan joined to 85%, but it also caught the trap that former coach Wajda chose to quit because he couldn't stand Ivanisevic's "dictatorial" training arrangement.

The suitability of this coaching style with Tsitsipas is worrying. The Greek has been in a slump since finishing runners-up at the French Open in 2021, with systemic deficiencies in his backhand consistency (down 11% in the 2023 season) and decision-making in front of the net (down to 63% netting rate). Even more problematic is the management of emotions on the court, with Tsitsipas having lost control of his emotions at key points in the last three Grand Slams with a 42% chance of being out of control, which is exactly the focus of Ivanisevic's use of "psychological shock therapy" to correct Djokovic. But the question is: Will Tsitsipas' father and former coach allow outsiders to reinvent their son in this way?

Mark Phillipsis' former coach Pat Cash once asserted: "Working with a player coached by a father is essentially challenging the other party's homeschooling. This sentence was brutally verified by Tsitsipas, who began working with Australian coach Mark Phillipsis at Wimbledon in 2022, but the partnership came to an abrupt end after less than a year, and the fuse was Philippous's request to reduce Sidpa's on-the-spot guidance.

It is worth noting that these coaches all had similar signs when they left: first the training plan was "fine-tuned" by the parents, then the on-the-spot command of key games was divided, and finally the scapegoat was made due to the fluctuation of performance. The current leak suggests that Ivanisevic has been given the "absolute right to speak on grass", but history shows that such commitments tend to unravel quickly after a player is eliminated in the first round.

Ivanisevic may be replicating his "crisis management template" when he coached Djokovic – clearly limiting the partnership to grass court seasons. This short-term contract is a way to circumvent long-term personnel conflicts and play to the service that he does best (Tsitsipas is still far from the top at 72% of his first-serve points). According to people familiar with the matter, the training will focus on: 1) increasing the average speed of the serve by 8-10 kilometers per hour; 2) Design a "1-2 punch" combination (serve + hop on); 3) Simulate critical partial pressures with high-pressure training.

When asked about the prospects for the partnership, Tsitsipas, who is preparing for the grass court season, gave an intriguing response: "Golan told me that great change always starts with chaos. This quote may reveal Ivanisevic's ultimate strategy - instead of being careful to maintain calm, it is better to proactively create a manageable crisis. After all, in the individual sport of tennis, sometimes the destruction of the old order is the beginning of reconstruction. The grass of Wimbledon will bear witness to the outcome of this big gamble: either another great story of a famous teacher and apprentice, or another footnote to the "parental conundrum" of professional tennis. (Source: Tennis Home Author: Mei)