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Novak Djokovic Adds Coco Gauff's Former Coach to His Team

Originally posted on Serve on SI | By Pat Benson | Last updated Dec 14, 2025 11:38 AM ET

Last month, Novak Djokovic did not mince words in his goals for the off-season. Djokovic wanted to "rebuild" and "reconstruct" his body to compete with the top players on the ATP Tour.

To help achieve that goal, Djokovic has added the biomechanics expert Mark Kovacs to his coaching staff ahead of the 2026 ATP season. Kovacs is a highly esteemed performance expert in the tennis world.

The Melbourne-native is the CEO and co-founder of the International Tennis Performance Association (ITPA) and has published more than 50 peer-reviewed studies on tennis-specific biomechanics. Kovacs has worked with players such as Coco Gauff, John Isner, Madison Keys, and Sloane Stephens.

Mark Kovacs' Game Plan

Novak Djokovic has hired a new member to his team.

Dr. Mark Kovacs is working with Novak with a focus on physical conditioning, injury prevention, biomechanics, recovery, and on-court performance optimization.

Novak is rebuilding his body and training hard for the new season. pic.twitter.com/euYhXL02MT
— Danny (@DjokovicFan_) December 14, 2025

Djokovic is just as meticulous about his coaching staff as he is about every other facet of his game and training regimen. The 24-time Grand Slam champion started last season with Andy Murray as his coach, before shaking up his staff after six months. In May, Djokovic added Dusan Vemic and Boris Bosnjakovic to his coaching staff.

Djokovic went on to win his 100th and 101st career singles titles in dramatic fashion. However, the 38-year-old is no longer concerned about the ATP Rankings. His goals are focused on winning Major titles and representing Serbia in the Summer Olympics.

To do that, Djokovic will have to fend off injuries and compete against much fresher legs. Earlier this fall, the tennis icon explained how he looked to other great athletes like LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo for inspiration.

Djokovic's Commitment to Excellence

Novak began his preparations in Athens, with a new face in the team, dr. Mark Kovacs (worked with Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens, Coco and John Isner) pic.twitter.com/DkHiBt49Du
— ᖴᖇᗩᑎI ® (@frani2312) December 14, 2025

Djokovic ended his 2025 campaign with an exclamation mark. He defeated Lorenzo Musetti in Athens, only to quickly pull out of the 2025 ATP Finals. Djokovic finished the season as the ATP World No. 4 with a record of 39-11 and two singles titles.

The 2026 ATP season will be here in less roughly three weeks. Fans can another exciting campaign from Djokovic as long as he can stay healthy.

This article first appeared on Serve on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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