Monica Seles sends one-word message to Novak Djokovic amid coaching speculation

Follow us on Google Discover

Novak Djokovic’s coaching situation remains unclear, although that hasn’t stopped him from picking up wins at the US Open.

At the end of 2024, Djokovic hired Andy Murray as his coach, in a bid to win a record 25th Grand Slam title.

Their partnership was short-lived, however, as Djokovic and Murray split during the clay-court season, after an early exit in Madrid.

Searching for some familiarity, Djokovic brought in Dusan Vemic to his team shortly after, although the Serb hasn’t joined the world number seven in New York.

Rumours were circulating recently that the 38-year-old was set to hire tennis legend Monica Seles to his team, as Djokovic made some interesting comments during a pre-US Open press conference.

“It’s like you’ve read my mind, but I can’t tell you anything. I’ve been stirring the pot a little, talking,” he said.

“We’ll see. These are just initial talks, and it’s more about the emotional aspect than a long-term partnership. That would mean a lot to me. I think you know who I’m talking about, but let’s not go into names now, so I don’t jump the gun.”

With fans certain that Djokovic was talking about Seles, they’ll no doubt be interested to hear what she had to say after his quarterfinal win at Flushing Meadows…

Monica Seles congratulates Novak Djokovic on quarterfinal win at the US Open

Standing between Djokovic and the US Open semifinals was home-favorite Taylor Fritz, who reached the final 12 months ago.

Djokovic made a bright start on Arthur Ashe Stadium, marching towards the last four, taking a two-set lead.

Having only lost one previous Grand Slam match from two-sets to love up [vs Jurgen Melzer at the 2010 French Open], things were looking good for the 24-time major champion.

However, not prepared to go down without a fight, Fritz stepped into another gear, winning the third set 6-3, adding a layer of intrigue to their quarterfinal clash.

Unfazed, Djokovic quickly regained his composure, winning the fourth set 6-4, to set up a mouthwatering semifinal clash with Carlos Alcaraz.

After the match, Djokovic posted his reaction to X, sharing a message to his daughter, Tara.

“For Tara,” he said.

“Soda popping into the semifinal.”

Congratulating Djokovic on the win, Seles replied to the Serb’s post.

“Bravo,” she said.

If the nine-time major champion is considering joining Djokovic’s coaching team, his quarterfinal performance could well have convinced her.

The 38-year-old was excellent, as he qualified for his fourth Grand Slam semifinal of the season.

Novak Djokovic’s remarkable 2025 campaign

Djokovic is the oldest player currently ranked inside the world’s top 50, but is still one of the best players on the ATP Tour.

Following his win over Fritz, Djokovic rose to number three in the ‘Race to Turin’, having accumulated more points than everyone except for Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in 2025.

What’s more impressive is that Djokovic is set to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin despite playing a much lighter schedule than his rivals.

Since June, Djokovic has played just three tournaments: the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.

Playing his best tennis at the Grand Slams, the Serb has qualified for the semifinals of all four majors this year.

• 2025 Australian Open – Novak Djokovic lost in SF to Alexander Zverev
• 2025 French Open – Novak Djokovic lost in SF to Jannik Sinner
• 2025 Wimbledon – Novak Djokovic lost in SF to Jannik Sinner
• 2025 US Open – Novak Djokovic to play Carlos Alcaraz in SF

He’ll no doubt hope to reach his first Grand Slam final of the season in New York, but will be up against it, taking on the world number two.

Djokovic is, however, unbeaten against Alcaraz on hard courts, defeating him at the 2023 Cincinnati Open and in Melbourne earlier this year.

Whether he can maintain that perfect record in New York remains to be seen, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.

Djokovic and Alcaraz will battle it out for a place in the 2025 US Open final on Friday, September 5.