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Goran Ivanišević
Ivanicevic.jpg
Ivanišević playing at a seniors' exhibition event as part of Vienna Open in October 2016.
Country (sports)  Yugoslavia (1988–1992)
 Croatia (1992–2004)
Residence Monte Carlo, Monaco
Born (1971-09-13) 13 September 1971 (age 53)
Split, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Turned pro 1988
Retired 2004
Plays Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money US$19,878,007
  •  34th all-time leader in earnings
Int. Tennis HoF 2020 (member page)
Singles
Career record 599–333 (64.27%) (64.3%)
Career titles 22
Highest ranking No. 2 (4 July 1994)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open QF (1989, 1994, 1997)
French Open QF (1990, 1992, 1994)
Wimbledon W (2001)
US Open SF (1996)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals SF (1992, 1993, 1996)
Grand Slam Cup W (1995)
Olympic Games SF (1992)
Doubles
Career record 262–225 (53.8%) (53.8%)
Career titles 9
Highest ranking No. 20 (6 January 1992)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open 2R (1990, 1994)
French Open F (1990, 1999)
Wimbledon 3R (1989, 1993)
US Open QF (1997)
Team competitions
Davis Cup W (2005)
Hopman Cup W (1996)
Coaching career
Coaching achievements
Coachee singles titles total 30
List of notable tournaments
(with champion)
Medal record
Representing  Croatia
Olympic Games
Bronze 1992 Barcelona Singles
Bronze 1992 Barcelona Men's Doubles

Goran Ivanišević (born September 13, 1971) is a famous Croatian former professional tennis player. He is also a successful tennis coach. In July 1994, he was ranked as the world's No. 2 male singles player by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).

Goran won 22 singles titles during his career. His biggest win was the 2001 Wimbledon Championships. He is the only player ever to win a Wimbledon singles title as a wild card entry. This means he wasn't ranked high enough to get in automatically but was given a special invitation. At the time, he was ranked No. 125 in the world!

Before his big win, he had been a runner-up at Wimbledon three times: in 1992, 1994, and 1998. Goran was famous for his incredibly powerful left-handed serve. For nearly 20 years, he held the record for the most aces (serves that opponents can't touch) at Wimbledon, with 1,377. Roger Federer broke this record in 2019. Goran was added to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2020.

After he stopped playing, Goran became a coach. He coached Marin Čilić from 2013 to 2016, helping Čilić win a major title at the 2014 US Open. He then coached Novak Djokovic from 2019 to 2024, guiding Djokovic to nine major titles. In November 2024, he became the coach for Elena Rybakina, but their partnership ended in January 2025 after the Australian Open. In May 2025, he started coaching Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Goran's Tennis Journey

Goran Ivanišević started playing tennis professionally in 1988. Even though he focused mostly on singles, he also did well in doubles, winning nine titles.

In 1990, he made a big splash by beating Boris Becker in the first round of the French Open. He reached the semifinals at Wimbledon that year. Goran also won his first singles title in Stuttgart and helped Yugoslavia win the World Team Cup. He played for Yugoslavia in the Davis Cup until Croatia became independent in 1991.

Goran became known for his strong, attacking style and super powerful serve. He often hit more aces than anyone else on the tour. He was also known for getting a bit frustrated on court sometimes, usually with himself!

Wimbledon Finals and Olympic Medals

In 1992, Goran reached his first Wimbledon singles final. He beat tough players like Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, and Pete Sampras to get there. In the final, he played Andre Agassi. It was a close match, but Agassi won. Goran set a new Wimbledon record that year with 206 aces.

Later in 1992, at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Goran won two bronze medals for Croatia: one in singles and one in doubles. He was also the flag-bearer for Croatia at the opening ceremony.

Goran reached the Wimbledon final two more times, in 1994 and 1998, but lost both times to Pete Sampras.

Wild Card Wimbledon Win

By 2001, Goran's ranking had dropped to No. 125 because of a shoulder injury. This meant he wouldn't normally get into Wimbledon. But because he had been a runner-up three times, he received a special "wild card" entry.

He surprised everyone by beating top players like Carlos Moyá, Andy Roddick, and Marat Safin. In the semifinals, he had an amazing five-set match against Tim Henman that lasted three days because of rain!

In the final, Goran faced Patrick Rafter. After a thrilling match, Goran won 9-7 in the final set. He became the lowest-ranked player and the first wild card to ever win a Grand Slam singles title. It was an incredible moment!

When he returned home to Split, Croatia, over 150,000 people came out to celebrate his victory. He also received the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year Award.

Ivanisevic Ancic Queens Club 2004
Goran Ivanišević and Mario Ančić playing doubles during the 2004 Queen's Club Championships.

The 2001 Wimbledon title was Goran's last tournament win. He retired from professional tennis in 2004 after playing his last match at Wimbledon. In 2005, he was part of the Croatian Davis Cup team that won the Davis Cup, even though he didn't play in the final match.

Goran's Playing Style

Goran Ivanišević was known for his "serve and volley" style. This means he would hit a powerful serve and then quickly run to the net to hit the next shot. This style works very well on grass courts.

His left-handed serve was incredibly strong and accurate. Many people consider him one of the best servers in tennis history. He could often win entire games just with his serves!

Because he focused so much on his serve and attacking shots, his return game and defensive shots were sometimes not as strong. He often used a "slice" shot for his backhand, which is a shot that makes the ball spin low over the net.

Grand Slam Finals

Goran played in four Grand Slam singles finals and won one. He also reached two Grand Slam doubles finals.

Singles: 4 Finals (1 Title, 3 Runner-ups)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1992 Wimbledon Grass United States Andre Agassi 7–6(10–8), 4–6, 4–6, 6–1, 4–6
Loss 1994 Wimbledon Grass United States Pete Sampras 6–7(2–7), 6–7(5–7), 0–6
Loss 1998 Wimbledon Grass United States Pete Sampras 7–6(7–2), 6–7(9–11), 4–6, 6–3, 2–6
Win 2001 Wimbledon Grass Australia Patrick Rafter 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 9–7

Doubles: 2 Finals (2 Runner-ups)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1990 French Open Clay Czechoslovakia Petr Korda Spain Sergio Casal
Spain Emilio Sánchez
5–7, 3–6
Loss 1999 French Open Clay United States Jeff Tarango India Mahesh Bhupathi
India Leander Paes
2–6, 5–7

Coaching Career

After retiring from playing, Goran Ivanišević became a very successful tennis coach.

Coaching Marin Čilić

From 2013 to 2016, Goran coached fellow Croatian player Marin Čilić. Under Goran's guidance, Marin won his first major title at the 2014 US Open.

Coaching Novak Djokovic

In 2019, Goran joined Novak Djokovic's coaching team. This partnership was very successful. Goran helped Novak win nine major titles, including three Australian Opens, three Wimbledon titles, two French Opens, and one US Open. Their coaching relationship ended in March 2024.

Coaching Elena Rybakina and Stefanos Tsitsipas

In November 2024, Elena Rybakina announced that Goran would be her new coach. However, this partnership was short-lived and ended in January 2025 after the Australian Open. In May 2025, it was announced that Goran Ivanišević was hired as coach by Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Personal Life

Goran Ivanišević has two children, Amber Maria and Emanuel, with his first wife, Tatjana Dragović. They divorced in 2013. He also has a son named Oliver with his second wife, Nives Čanović. His eldest son, Emanuel, is also a tennis player and won the U-16 Croatian doubles championships in 2023.

Records

  • Goran Ivanišević is the only male player to win a Grand Slam title as a wild card entry. He did this at Wimbledon in 2001.
  • He holds the record for the most aces by any player in a single season from 1991 onwards, with 1,477 aces in 1996.

Film and TV Appearances

Goran Ivanišević has appeared in a few films and TV shows, usually playing himself.

Film

Year Title Role
2001 Wimbledon Official Film 2001 Himself

Television

Year Title Role
2005 Mjenjačnica Himself

Music Videos

Year Artist Title
2007 Nina Badrić "Da se opet tebi vratim"

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Goran Ivanišević para niños

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