Former Swedish tennis player Jonas Bjorkman, winner of nine Grand Slam doubles titles and former coach of Marin Čilić, spoke to Novi list about his favorite victories, his relationship with Croatian players, and why Novak Djokovic is the most complete tennis player of all time.
Former Swedish tennis player Jonas Bjorkman, who reached a career-high of No. 4 in the ATP singles rankings and No. 1 in doubles, shared memories of his rich career in a major interview with Novi list. Bjorkman, who later coached Andy Murray and Marin Čilić, reflected on his favorite titles, matches against the greatest players of all time, and his relationship with Croatian tennis players.
Although he won as many as nine Grand Slam doubles titles and three Davis Cups, Bjorkman notes that each title carries a special story. Still, one stands out as particularly dear to him.
"My favorite doubles title? I'd say each one has its own special story. But I would single out my first Wimbledon title with Todd Woodbridge because, you know, winning Wimbledon is something truly special," Bjorkman told Novi list.
He added that it was a dream come true because he grew up watching Swedish heroes on grass. He also fondly remembers winning the Australian Open with Woodbridge and Pat Rafter, as well as the French Open with Max Mirnyi, which completed his career Grand Slam in doubles. "That also meant a lot to me," he emphasized.
Bjorkman also revealed what it takes to excel in doubles, stressing that technique alone is not enough.
"You need a good return, a good volley, and reflexes, along with a quality serve. You don't have to be the best at everything, but you have to be smart and use your abilities tactically, which is even more important in doubles," he explained. He emphasized that chemistry between partners is crucial: "You can play with an excellent doubles player, but if there's no chemistry between you, you won't achieve good results."
During his singles career, Bjorkman faced the biggest names in the sport, and he revealed who was the toughest opponent. Although he never played an official match against Novak Djokovic, he practiced extensively with him when the Serb was younger and worked as a hitting partner in Monaco.
"For me, he is the best tennis player we've ever had. The most complete player of all time," Bjorkman stated. Among the players he faced, Roger Federer was the toughest. "Sampras and Agassi were incredible champions and great players, but against them, I never had the feeling I'd lose 6:0, 6:0. I think the difference with Nadal and Federer was that they wanted to humiliate you. It wasn't enough for them to just beat you-they wanted to completely outplay and humiliate you."
He said Pete Sampras had a different approach: "If he got a break, he would save energy. Against him, you'd often lose 6:3, 6:4, with one break in each set."
As his favorite Tour victory, Bjorkman singles out the third-round match at the 1994 US Open, where he defeated his idol and compatriot Stefan Edberg 6:4, 6:4, 6:0 on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
"For a few years, I was his hitting partner in Sweden, and every time he came, I had the privilege of practicing with him. He probably beat me 40 or 50 times, mostly convincingly-6:0, 6:0, 6:0, 6:1, and so on," Bjorkman recalled. After breaking into the top 100 in 1993, his moment came at the 1994 US Open. "That's why it was an incredible experience to beat Stefan, my great idol and hero, 6:4, 6:4, 6:0, in front of a packed Louis Armstrong Stadium. And even better, Stefan and I never played each other again after that."
Bjorkman also highlighted his excellent relationship with many Croatian tennis players he encountered during his career.
"I'd say I've always had a great relationship with the Croats, like Goran Ivanišević, whom I still occasionally meet on the Tour, where he works as a coach," he said. He especially singled out Marin Čilić, whom he coached, calling it a great experience, and Mario Ančić, whom he knows very well. He also recalled Ivan Ljubičić, with whom he played at the same tournaments for years but never got the chance to face each other in an official match. "We practiced a lot together, but we never played against each other, which was actually a bit strange," he added.
He concluded that all those guys are big sports fanatics, "just like the whole of Croatia, which loves sports. That's why we always got along great."
