Novak Djokovic has a streamlined support box in Madrid this week.
Playing his first tournament since dropping his entire coaching team, Djokovic advanced to the Madrid quarterfinals today with younger brother Marko Djokovic and spiritual guru and former ATP player Pepe Imaz in his box.
Djokovic: New Coach Coming Soon
The defending Madrid champion said he's drawing support and positive energy—rather than technical and tactical guidance—from his brother and Imaz.
"Obviously they are more than a team," Djokovic told the media in Madrid following his 6-4, 7-5 win over Feliciano Lopez today. "They're friends. They're family. They're people that have been with me for a long time, especially my brother.
"They are there to support me. They are there to give me any kind of energy that I need in the certain moments when I'm in transition, in a way, of kind of being without a tennis coach."
The 12-time Grand Slam champion said his brother is more interested in being his brother than a long-term coaching role.
"My brother, he's my tennis coach at the moment, but he doesn't like to accept that role," Djokovic said of Marko. "He says, I'm your brother, so I'm here to support you. I value his advice very much on the court, and his observation. But he likes to keep the brother role more than tennis coach, which I respect very much.
"So in this transition, they're there for me, they're there with me. I'm completely fine with that."
The reigning Roland Garros champion met Imaz through Marko Djokovic, who credits Imaz with helping him overcome the depression he felt over struggling with his own tennis career.
In his post-match press conference yesterday, Djokovic said he expects to hire a new head coach either before Roland Garros or right after the clay-court major.
"I'm going to think about who I want in my team," Djokovic said. "Right now I don't have yet anyone. But I think by French Open or after French Open, I already going to have someone."