After Djokovic won his first gold medal at the Paris Olympics, his former coach Ivanisevic said in an interview that he was pleased with the Serbian's achievements and was optimistic that Djokovic would win the US Open this year. Ivanisevic coached Djokovic for five years. They once competed for the gold medal together at the Tokyo Olympics, but failed at that time. Three years later, this "belated gold medal" finally filled the last piece of the puzzle for Djokovic's tennis map.

Djokovic's Olympic Triumph: A Story of Resilience and Desire

It's like a story that has been written: Novak Djokovic's first championship of the year is the Olympic gold medal. This is the best situation and the sweetest victory. Despite injuries, surgery, and a disappointing performance in the Wimbledon final, Djokovic's desire inspired him to achieve greatness once again. As Goran Ivanisevic noted, "When Novak plays at his level, he is the best player in the world, and no one can match him."

Ivanisevic, Djokovic's coach, was particularly impressed by Djokovic's performance against Carlos Alcaraz in the Olympic final, a complete turnaround from the Wimbledon final just weeks prior. "It's amazing. Only two or three weeks after Wimbledon, he can show such an unparalleled transformation. His willpower, desire, and strength were evident. Alcaraz is 16 years younger, with better and faster hitting power, but Novak made him look neither younger nor stronger."

Despite the lack of victories this season, there was much speculation about Djokovic's ability to return to his peak form. Ivanisevic, however, never doubted it. "Only crazy people would think he would never return to his peak. When he is very eager, no one can beat him, no matter who his opponent is. He is very smart, plays aggressively, and every shot is made with determination. Although Alcaraz's hitting power is very strong, Novak's is even greater! I think this surprised Carlos a little and made him a little nervous."

The key to Djokovic's victory, according to Ivanisevic, was making Alcaraz nervous and forcing him to make mistakes. "This is what happened in the second set tiebreak. Alcaraz knew that if his ball was not deep enough, Novak would seize the opportunity, but this made him make more mistakes."

Reflecting on Djokovic's journey, Ivanisevic highlighted the significance of the Olympic gold medal. "Novak was not himself in the Wimbledon final, but in this final, you will find... Even if they played for another five hours, the result would not change. Novak is in excellent condition. People tend to forget that this is his first Olympic final. He feels that this is his opportunity and he must seize this opportunity. However, considering that he is a very driven person, I would not be surprised if he participates in the Los Angeles Olympics four years later."

Ivanisevic expressed his hopes for Djokovic's future. "He finally got his gold medal, and I'm very happy for him. I hope he can win 25 Grand Slam titles, break the ultimate record, and then he can retire, even if he never retires. I think he will find motivation, and this gold medal will inspire him. If he keeps this form, he will be the biggest favorite for the US Open. It's a miracle that he can play in Wimbledon, let alone make the final. It's true that we don't know if the situation like this year's Australian Open will happen again, where he didn't play to his level against Sinner. We don't have a crystal ball and can't make predictions, but if he still keeps this desire, then he will be the strongest contender for the US Open."