Following his split with Goran Ivanisevic, Novak Djokovic’s new coach, Nenad Zimonjic, made his first appearance in the Serb’s player’s box at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters.

Djokovic has dad a disappointing start to the season, with a semifinal exit at the 2024 Australian Open, where he was defeated by eventual champion Jannik Sinner. He then suffered a shock defeat in the third round of the Indian Wells Masters at the hands of Italian lucky loser Luca Nardi.

Following this, the World No. 1 withdrew from the Miami Open and announced his split with coach Ivanisevic. Ivanisevic had been a part of the 36-year old’s team since 2019 and took over as head coach in 2022, helping the Serb win nine Grand Slam titles.

Currently, Djokovic is competing at the Monte-Carlo Masters, and started his campaign by defeating Roman Safiullin 6-1, 6-2 in 70 minutes to move into the third round. The presence of Nenad Zimonjic in the Serb’s player box caught the attention of spectators in the stadium and fans watching the match.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion was earlier seen practicing under the watchful eyes of Zimonjic ahead of his second-round match. The 47-year old will serve as Djokovic’s coach for the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Monaco, although the length of their collaboration is still uncertain.

Talking at a press conference before the start of his Monte-Carlo Masters, Novak Djokovic described Zimonjic as an “older brother,” and “mentor.” He revealed that he asked Zimonjic to accompany him to Monaco, leading to their current partnership.

“He’s [Nenad Zimonjic] obviously a longtime friend, also was a Davis Cup captain, and somebody that I’ve known since I was very very young. He’s always helped me, even when he was playing. He was a mentor, like an older brother, and we kept that relationship until, of course, today,” he said.

While they do not have a formal commitment, the Serb revealed that their strong, longstanding relationship was the basis for their collaboration.

“So he was in Belgrade, and I was starting my play preparations there. We spoke, and I said, ‘You know if you have a chance to be at my training sessions,’ and he said, ‘Yes, I’ll be here,’ and then I said, ‘Can you come to Monaco with me?’ He said yes. So, you know, that’s where we are; basically, we don’t have any kind of commitment. It’s based on the relationship that already exists for many years,” he added.

Novak Djokovic will face Lorenzo Musetti in Monte-Carlo Masters 3R

Novak Djokovic will go up against Lorenzo Musetti in the third round of the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters after a first-round bye and a second-round win over Roman Safiullin.

Meanwhile, Musetti began his Monte-Carlo campaign by defeating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 in the first round. He then secured his spot in the third round by defeating Arthur Fils 6-3, 7-5.

Djokovic will have the opportunity to avenge his 2023 Monte-Carlo Mosters loss against Musetti, who defeated him 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the third round. The two players have faced each other four times on the ATP Tour, with the Serb emerging victorious thrice, giving him a 3-1 lead in their head-to-head record.