Djokovic Pairs with Troicki for Roland-Garros
Only days remain before the start of Roland Garros, and Novak Djokovic is already making moves.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion announced on social media that he has added fellow Serbian player and longtime friend Viktor Troicki to his team as a coach. Djokovic, who will enter Roland-Garros with zero clay court wins in 2026, is seen by many as the main challenger to Jannik Sinner in Paris.
The Serbian, a three-time Roland-Garros champion, got good news on Thursday when he was drawn into the bottom half of the draw, which means he won’t see Sinner until the final – if he can get there.
“Welcome my friend, teammate and now coach… Viktor Troicki,” Djokovic shared on Instagram.
A Belgrade native and one year older than Djokovic, Troicki has known the Serbian star since their junior days. Troicki reached a career-high ranking of world No. 12 and retired in 2021 with three ATP titles to his name.
Djokovic, who is seeded third in Paris, and Alexander Zverev, seeded second, are prime candidates to challenge Sinner. Remember, Nole took out the Italian in this year’s Australian Open semifinals, before losing in the final to Carlos Alcaraz.
With Alcaraz out of Roland Garros and Wimbledon with a wrist injury, this could be Djokovic’s last – and perhaps final – chance to claim that elusive 25th major title.
Djokovic dominated their head-to-head rivalry, leading 13-1 overall. Troicki’s lone victory came in their first tour-level meeting in 2007.
Their history together extends well beyond singles competition. The two occasionally partnered in doubles and helped Serbia win the ATP Cup in 2020, with Troicki returning as team captain the following year.
They have also shared success in Davis Cup competition. As Serbia’s team captain, Troicki has coached Djokovic in 18 matches, including throughout Serbia’s runs to the Davis Cup Finals semifinals in 2021 and 2023.
Troicki is another intriguing addition to the 38-year-old Djokovic’s coaching history—and not the first close friend he has brought into his camp.
After a lengthy partnership with former world No. 1 Goran Ivanisevic, Djokovic hired fellow former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray in 2025. The partnership ended after six months without a title.
Djokovic remains focused on his biggest goal: winning a record 25th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. The milestone would give him the most major singles titles of any man or woman in tennis history and mark his first Grand Slam title since the 2023 US Open.
He has come agonizingly close twice, reaching the Wimbledon final in 2024 and the Australian Open final in 2026, losing to Carlos Alcaraz on both occasions.
In Paris, Djokovic will need to hit the ground running after drawing Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round—a tough opening challenge against one of the tour’s biggest servers and a French player competing on home soil.
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