"Wimbledon 2011, rise to World No. 1" - Marian Vajda recalls most memorable moments with Novak Djokovic

20-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic recently split with his coach Marian Vajda after a long stint together. The duo worked together for 15 years, with Vajda being an integral part of Djokovic's team for each of his 20 Major wins.

While they have shared many memorable moments together, Vajda remembers the Serb's maiden title at Wimbledon most fondly. That win in 2011 helped him rise to No. 1 in the ATP rankings for the first time in his career.

"I will remember them all," Vajda told Aktuality. "They were beautiful, but perhaps the most important was the July 3, 2011 - Wimbledon final. Novak defeated defending champion and world No.1 Rafael Nadal by three sets to one. He won Wimbledon for the first time and became world No.1 for the first time."

Vajda remembers the moment not only because it led to Djokovic's first Wimbledon title, but also as it helped break Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's duopoly. The Serb's triumph in 2011 was the first time since 2002 that neither Federer nor Nadal had lifted the title at the All England Club.

"Until then, only Federer and Nadal had won in London since 2002, and since 2004, they had taken turns at the top of the leaderboard. For the first time as a coach, I led the best player in the world," Vajda said.

Djokovic had a sensational season in 2011, winning three out of the four Grand Slams and claiming his first year-end No. 1 title. He finished the year with a 70-6 win-loss record and won five Masters 1000 events. The Serb went on a 41-match win-streak at the start of the season, stamping out all his opponents until losing in the semifinals against Roger Federer at Roland Garros.

Marian Vajda hopes to be back after a break, but says Novak Djokovic has set the bar very high

Goran Ivanisevic and Marian Vajda spectating Djokovic's match in the 2019 US Open

After 15 years of traveling and working with Novak Djokovic, Marian Vajda is now keen to take a break and spend some time with his family. However, he hopes to make a comeback to the tour in the future.

Vajda conceded that player-coach partnerships at the top of the pile do not always work well and can be "difficult to balance".

"I would like to experience something new later, a new challenge with another player, but the bar is set very high," he said. "This is difficult to balance. Ivan Lendl helped Andy Murray to the highest goals, but they did not sit down with Alexander Zverev. Even Andre Agassi with Novak Djokovic. Sometimes even the best coaches don't have luck with players."