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Goran Ivanisevic, Novak Djokovic's coach, talked about friendship in tennis. Also Italian former star Adriano Panatta talked abiut the issue: "In our time we were in Marbella for a performance and between victory and defeat there was dancing 30 thousand dollars, with which you could also buy an apartment.
I had to play the Davis Cup the following week, so I was chaste and pure, Borg instead. The night before of the final he drank the impossible, about thirty glasses of vodka, to the point that I was forced to take it to his hotel room, and throw it on the bed, he had drunk too much.
Instead the day we entered the field and he beat me 6-2, 6-1. I changed sides and spat at him." Panatta told one of the many stories related to his rivalry and friendship with Bjorn Borg, one of the best tennis players ever.
The episode narrated by Panatta represents the emblem of the relationship that the players once shared on and off the pitch.
Goran Ivanisevic: "In my time, tennis players were friends, now..."
Goran Ivanisevic spoke about this change in an interesting interview.
The current coach of Novak Djokovic explained that today tennis players have a controversial relationship with their colleagues also due to the growing media attention. He explained: "What was the best generation. Difficult to say.
Maybe Nole, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are the best ever. But each generation has brought something new and unique. But there is a substantial difference. In my day, all tennis players were friends. We often went out together, went to dinner, we were a real group.
Today this is no longer the case: tennis players greet each other only on the pitch, and barely outside. There is no relationship between them. Too many media around, too many agents, too much internet. Regrets? I am very proud of myself, of the Wimbledon victory 21 years ago, of the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
But some important games, semi-finals and Grand Slams, I lost because I did not have the right mental balance: I was fighting against myself instead of the opponent."
