Previously, Vajda provided some stability to the Serbs through their long association that dates back to 2006 when Vajda was appointed as head coach of Djokovic, a position he held until 2013 with the arrival of Boris Becker. In his original tenure as head coach, Vajda oversaw Djokovic’s rise from a highly talented newcomer to world No. 1 and multiple major slam winner by 2011.
“During my time with Novak, I was fortunate to watch him transform into the player he is today,” Vajda said in the statement. “I will look back at our time with great pride and am so grateful for the success we have had.”
Vajda remained part of Djokovic’s coaching team under Becker until 2017, and after a short hiatus, rejoined in 2018, coinciding with Djokovic’s return to his squad with Grand Slam victories at Wimbledon and the US Open.
“Marianne was by my side during the most memorable moments of my career,” Djokovic said.
“We have achieved some great things together and I am so grateful for his friendship and dedication over the past 15 years. While he may leave the professional team, he will always be family and I cannot thank him enough for everything he has accomplished.”
During their time together, Djokovic and Vajda have claimed 85 ATP singles titles – including all of Djokovic’s 20 Grand Slam titles.
But in recent years, Vajda has fallen back a bit. Since 2019, he has been involved in coaching assignments with Goran Ivanisevic and has traveled to fewer tournaments.
Ivanisevic will continue to work with Djokovic, hoping to bring him back to world number one, a potentially challenging task given Djokovic’s continued refusal to comply with the vaccination requirements that now guard many of the world’s biggest leagues.
Vajda, although he is no longer an official member of Djokovic’s squad, will continue to be his “biggest support both on and off the field”.
“Typical food guru. Problem solver. Devoted beer practitioner. Professional reader. Baconaholic.”