Marian Vajda reveals a teenage Novak Djokovic once told him straight in the face that he would be the world No. 1 one day and he sure did keep his promise.
In 2006, the Slovak coach started working with the Serb, who was at the time making his first steps on the ATP Tour. And two years later, their first Grand Slam title came after his then-pupil won the Australian Open.
While Djokovic very early established himself as one of the best on the Tour, he just wasn’t managing to win his second Grand Slam title or reach the top spot because of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. But then the 2011 season came, when the Serbian tennis star won three Slams and climbed to No. 1 spot for the first time n his career following his Wimbledon triumph.
Today, the 37-year-old owns an all-time record of 24 Grand Slams and he is the first and only player in tennis history to have spent more than 400 weeks at the top spot
“Of course, all of this is much more than a number. I look at my cooperation with Novak as a process. Of course, when I met him, he was very young and had only confidence. He told me: ‘Maran, I will be tennis number one.’ When we started working, I thought it couldn’t get any better. He is the best player who could have deserved it, and it was just amazing. As a coach, I saw how he was progressing, how he was training better, how he was developing, but for him the goal was to be tennis number one and win all those tournaments, Grand Slam titles,” Vajda said during his appearance on RTS, via Serbian publication Alo.
Marian Vajda and Novak Djokovic© Marian Vajda/Instagram – Fair Use
Vajda on his massive success with Djokovic
That 2011 season turned out to be the game-changer because the Serb went from hunting to being hunted and dominated the Grand Slam scene for the next several years. But in 2017, that elbow injury happened – his results dipped – and he infamously ended up firing his entire team, including the Slovak coach.
However, it didn’t take long before Djokovic reunited with Vajda. And shortly after the band got back together in 2018, the now record 24-time Major winner got back to his old ways and winning Slams. Their second stint lasted between 2018 and 2022. In the end, they worked for a total of 15 years.
“It was an incredible journey, but when I look back on it now and see all those numbers, it really is an incredible achievement. I could never have imagined that he would win so many titles and tournaments and that he would be the best in the history of tennis. Novak Djokovic is one of the reasons why yours Serbian Olympic Committee declared me the best coach for the period from 2011 to 2018,” Vajda said.
Marian Vajda and Novak Djokovic© Marian Vajda/Instagram – Fair Use
Vajda and Djokovic reunited in Belgrade
This past week, the Serbian capital staged an ATP 250 tournament. Since the 37-year-old is out of action and won’t compete at the ATP Finals, he had some spare time so he paid a visit to the tournament. Since his former coach also received an invite, they met again.
During his appearance on a Serbian television, the Slovak revealed that he and the current world No. 5 remain in contact through messages and that Djokovic was in tears when they spoke following his Paris Olympics win.
“Of course, I remember our first meetings in Paris. The second time I came here, to Belgrade, I had an incredibly warm welcome. All our friends were there, they invited me to come back to Belgrade, and it was a really warm human welcome all that time. Every time I came, I remember the best part of our cooperation. During those 15 years, it was truly incredible to collaborate with Novak, to be with him on his journey. Of course, now, in the last few years, I am doing other work in my country,” Vajda said.
“We often exchange text messages and talk. We talked after the Olympic Games. I was in tears, and he was in tears. Everyone was in tears because he won the Olympic gold, and that was the crown of his work, of all his successes, and that was really extraordinary. Of course, the invitation to this tournament makes me very happy and evokes memories. Once again, it’s great that I’m here.”
After the two split in early 2022, Vajda started working with Slovak coach Alex Molcan and also has a role within the Slovak Tennis Federation. Meanwhile, Djokovic split with Goran Ivanisevic earlier this year and he hasn’t yet found a new full-time coach.