Goran Ivanišević facts for kids
Ivanišević playing at a seniors' exhibition event as part of Vienna Open in October 2016.
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| Country (sports) |  Yugoslavia (1988–1992) Croatia (1992–2004) |
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| Residence | Monte Carlo, Monaco | |||||||||||||
| Born | 13 September 1971 Split, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia |
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| 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
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| 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 | ||||||||||||||
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| Coaching achievements | ||||||||||||||
| Coachee singles titles total | 30 | |||||||||||||
| List of notable tournaments (with champion)
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Medal record
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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.
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 |
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| Loss | 1992 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Andre Agassi |
7–6(10–8), 4–6, 4–6, 6–1, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1994 | Wimbledon | Grass | Pete Sampras |
6–7(2–7), 6–7(5–7), 0–6 |
| Loss | 1998 | Wimbledon | Grass | Pete Sampras |
7–6(7–2), 6–7(9–11), 4–6, 6–3, 2–6 |
| Win | 2001 | Wimbledon | Grass |  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 |  Petr Korda |
 Sergio Casal Emilio Sánchez |
5–7, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1999 | French Open | Clay | Jeff Tarango |
 Mahesh Bhupathi 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 |
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| 2001 | Wimbledon Official Film 2001 | Himself |
Television
| Year | Title | Role |
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| 2005 | Mjenjačnica | Himself |
Music Videos
| Year | Artist | Title |
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| 2007 | Nina Badrić | "Da se opet tebi vratim" |
See also
In Spanish: Goran Ivanišević para niños
