Vajda Named ATP Coach Of The Year

Marian Vajda was named the ATP Caoch of the Year in the 2018 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon, in recognition of his efforts to help Novak Djokovic climb from No. 22 in the ATP Rankings in June to World No. 1 to finish the year.

“I would like to really dedicate this to all of our team,” said Vajda, who returned to Djokovic’s team along with fitness coach Gebhard Gritsch in April after a one-year split.

Djokovic got off to a slow 6-6 start to 2018, undergoing a right elbow procedure after the Australian Open. But once reunited with Vajda, Djokovic’s season took off. Grand Slam victories at Wimbledon and the US Open, as well as ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns in Cincinnati and Shanghai highlighted his efforts, as Djokovic finished atop the year-end ATP Rankings for the fifth time.

“I’m really glad that after coming back, he reached No. 1 in the world,” Vajda said of his pupil’s run of form.

The award was nominated and voted on by fellow ATP coach members. Fellow finalists were Jan de Witt (Nikoloz Basilashvili), Carlos Moya (Rafael Nadal), Sebastian Prieto (Juan Martin del Potro) and Simone Vagnozzi (Marco Cecchinato).