Arthur Fils has announced the addition of former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic to his coaching team.
Fils, who missed most of the 2025 season due to a recurring back injury, confirmed the appointment after defeating Quentin Halys at the Qatar Open on Wednesday.
Ivanisevic, the 2001 Wimbledon champion, most famously worked with Novak Djokovic between 2019 and 2024 – a period in which Djokovic won nine major titles.
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Ivanisevic last worked with Stefanos Tsitsipas, with the partnership ending after only two months in July 2025.
Ivanisevic has now joined Fils’ camp and could be seen in the Frenchman’s player box during his victory against Halys.
Arthur Fils says Goran Ivanisevic is a ‘hell of a champion’
During a post-match interview with Tennis TV, Fils described his thoughts on the new partnership with Ivanisevic.
He said: “Hell of a champion, winner of a Slam and coached a lot of guys. A lot of champions actually, so yeah, he’s helping me during the season.
“We’re going to try, but I think it’s good for me, it’s maybe the best for me to have his experience as a coach and as a player.
“So very, very happy that he joined us during this long journey.”
Ivanisevic first delved into coaching in 2013, when he joined Marin Cilic’s team and helped the Croatian win his sole major to date at the 2014 US Open.
Since splitting with Cilic in 2016, Ivanisevic has worked with Tomas Berdych, Milos Raonic, Novak Djokovic, Elena Rybakina and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
As for Fils, he has previously worked with Laurent Raymond, Sebastien Grosjean and Sergi Bruguera. Ivan Cinkus had been Fils’ main coach since January 2025.
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Stefanos Tsitsipas’ mother said Goran Ivanisevic was the ‘wrong choice’
Last year, the partnership of Goran Ivanisevic and Stefanos Tsitsipas ended rather unceremoniously, with the Croat claiming he had never worked with a more ‘underprepared’ player in his life.
Salnikova Tsitsipas, Stefanos’ mother, described the Croat as the ‘wrong choice’ for her son.
“Goran Ivanisevic’s history as a coach begins and ends with a player named Novak Djokovic. He completely lost himself in him,” she told Sports.RU.
“I saw it. It shocked me. He treated Djokovic as a dear person who needed all-around support. Ivanisevic was ready to do anything for Djokovic, willing to fulfill any whim.
“And that won me over. It turned out to be an illusion. Observing this relationship, I naively assumed it could be the same with the next player.
“But such love happens once in a lifetime; no one can repeat it. There was no way to buy into this.”
She added: “It was my idea. I didn’t just advise him, I insisted. I take full responsibility for it. I take the blame for it being the wrong choice.
“After all, even the team that worked with Stefanos before he started working with Ivanisevic was more helpful to him.”
