“It's unique that the guys in the top 100 have the same coach, but it works well. If Marinko can't be there, we have a physical trainer [Tonu Liiband]and I do some weeks with [ex-American player] Ryan Harrison too.”
Matosevic built a solid career thanks in large part to an insatiable work ethic after failing to qualify as a junior. However, he was probably best known for rolling wildly on the clay at Roland-Garros after ending his Grand Slam drought at his 13th attempt.
There was also the time he deliberately threw the famously superstitious Rafael Nadal's water bottles with a backhand in an attempt to shake him mid-match.
Matosevic even compared his mindset as a player to that of Nick Kyrgios in an interview with the clubhead in 2015.
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“He's a showman,” Matosevic said of Kyrgios, who also speaks highly of him. “When he plays, he doesn't just want to win, he wants to entertain the masses, and I think he seems to play his best that way… [It is] somewhat similar to me; [he] He wears his emotions on his sleeve.”
Matosevic, originally from Dandenong North in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs, has become an exceptional coach since cutting his teeth overseeing a tennis academy in Bali funded by a Russian millionaire.
He managed to convince Thompson at Wimbledon last year that he needed to drastically change his style of play to have any hope against Novak Djokovic.
Thompson lost that second-round match in straight sets, but was very competitive and his running to the net matched Djokovic throughout the contest.
The decision to work with Matosevic has proven to be an uncanny success, with Thompson rising from a ranking in the mid-80s to now inside the top 40, including reaching a career high of No. 32 this April year.
O'Connell offered an insight into how the arrangement works at Roland-Garros just a few weeks ago, while revealing that Matosevic the coach was usually “much more relaxed” than the “fiery” persona he displayed as a player.
Chris O'Connell, pictured at this year's Australian Open, has also thrived under Matosevic.Credit: Getty Images
“Marinko does a good job of keeping him separate. Jordan's on the court right now, so he's just focused on Jordan, but as soon as Jordan gets off the court, he's focused on me,” said O' Connell.
“I think it's also good for Marinko. It's not just focused on you, and it's a bit of a break [for him]. I think it's good for him to balance that as well instead of focusing so much on just one player.”
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The obvious question is how Matosevic would fare if Thompson and O'Connell were to play each other, which happened in early 2022, but not since they became a team in December of that year.
At the time, Matosevic was only coaching O'Connell, who feels his manager is “sitting on the fence and enjoying the game” if that scenario unfolds.
What attracted both Thompson and O'Connell to Matosevic was how he made it to the last drop as a player and persisted to the point where he achieved his best results in his late 20s.
“I was definitely a latecomer and didn't make the top 100 until a couple of years ago,” O'Connell said.
“Marinko having the same experience, where he got into the top 100 a little bit later, definitely helped me and gave me confidence that I could do it, and I did. Now I want to get into the top 50 and I still feel like I'm getting a lot better.”
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This mutual respect seems to be the key to why this unlikely trio clicks even though each of them is so different in so many ways.
“Chris probably says minimal words to everybody, but I can get more words out of him, just because I've known him longer on the tour,” Thompson said.
“He's a quiet success who just goes about his business and is constantly improving, so hats off to him.”
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