Interview conducted by Carlo Giorgi, article edited by Adam Addicott
Since February 2014 Petar Popovic has been the man responsible for repairing and developing the game of tour veteran Ivo Karlovic. Together the two men have formed a formidable bond and it has brought success to the Croats game. It is a partnership that many can learn from, but Popovic is the first to admit that it has been a far from easy journey.
The 34-year-old has provided an insight into his past year with the ‘king of aces‘ during an exclusive interview with Ubitennis. The last 12 months has taken the team from the low point of injury towards the dream of one day breaking the top 10.
Karlovic has reached new territory in his career by finishing the season in the top 20 (20th place) for the first time, after winning two titles (Newport and Los Cabos) and reaching the final in Washington. The journey to the milestone has been far from straightforward for the Croat, who lost his first six matches and suffered a knee injury at the start of the year.
“We could not practice at all last winter because Ivo was injured.” Popovic said. “We tried to go to Melbourne, but the injury got bigger and bigger and he was forced to retire in the first round. We went to the doctors in Australia and four weeks after Ivo was healthy and played Delray Beach. Though, he was still far from being at 100% physically and the knee injury came back the week after. So we decided to skip Indian Wells and Miami.”
Known by many as Dr. Ivo due to his height and forceful serving, Karlovic returned to the tour seven weeks later in Monte Carlo for the clay season. The return to the red surface brought mixed fortunes for the tour veteran. Reaching the semifinals in Istanbul and the third round at the French Open, the 37-year-old also suffered three first round defeats on the clay.
“We started practicing again, but it was very hard. Some days were good, some days were bad, Ivo had no confidence with his knee and could not find his game.” Popovic recalled. “We thought that he would not come back to high levels. In Monte Carlo, it was tough as it was the first tournament on clay as well, and Ivo does not like red clay so much. He did not play well, but after Bucharest I felt that he was getting confidence on his knee, so he could slide and came back to play well.”
“He reached the semifinals in Istanbul and he played a good match in Madrid, but lost to Kudla after having a million of chances to win. I saw that he was back physically, and then he reached the third round at Roland Garros, winning a five-set match. In that moment I knew that he was going to finish the season in the top 30. We pushed much more in the practice and big results arrived in America, where we were working really hard. It is all about how hard you practice in tennis.”
Since the French Open, Karlovic has enjoyed success on both the grass and hard-court surfaces with a duo of ATP titles. Furthermore, at the US Open he reached the fourth round for the first time on his 13th attempt. The 37-year-old ends the season with 32 wins and 22 losses, a slight fall on his 2015 record of 38 wins and 25 losses. Despite both seasons being relatively similar in term of numbers, one stands out more than the other for Popovic.
“I think that this season was better than the previous. He was able to come back from an injury and he won a lot of tight matches, while he was always losing those ones in 2015.” The Serbian coach concluded about Karlovic.
After ending the year inside the top 20, there is still one big event left for Karlovic this year – the Davis Cup. Croatia has won the event once before in 2005, but they are yet to achieve the milestone on home territory. This could change when the country plays Argentina later this month in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. With history looming, Karlovic has decided to end his four-year retirement from the prestigious team tournament.
“I think that Ivo’s presence might be crucial in the tie. If Croatia chooses a very fast court, they are the big favorites.” His coach said.
So what’s next for the age-defying Croat? Some might expect him to start edging towards retirement, but he still has unfinished business. Trying to achieve his dream of breaking the top 10 in 2017 is a long shot, but not an impossible one according to his mentor.
“My dream is to see Ivo in the top 10 next year,” Popovic said about the goals for the next season. “I Know it will be extremely difficult, but he has nothing to defend until the Roland Garros. It will depend mostly on his results until Miami and I think he can make big results in Australia and in Indian Wells. Anyway, we are very motivated to work hard this winter.”
Karlovic is a player that has earned the respect of many. Blessed with one of the fastest and strongest serves on the ATP Tour, the future is still bright for the Croat. Many optimists say ‘age isn’t nothing but a number‘ and Karlovic is the ultimate pinnacle of this expression. How well he does in 2017 remains to be seen, but at least he has the backing of his guru Popovic.
