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Why Andre Agassi will be a better coach for Novak Djokovic than Boris Becker

By Veronica Elizabeth Bruno

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 27: Andy Murray of Great Britain (R), and Andre Agassi watch Novak Djokovic of Serbia hold the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after Djokovic won their men's final match during day fourteen of the 2013 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 27, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 27: Andy Murray of Great Britain (R), and Andre Agassi watch Novak Djokovic of Serbia hold the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after Djokovic won their men's final match during day fourteen of the 2013 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 27, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images) /
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Andre Agassi is the man to get Novak Djokovic back to the top of his game.

Novak Djokovic has been suffering from a loss of form since last year, with early exits in many major tournaments including his first loss at a Masters 1000 tournament, to Alexander Zverev in Rome on Sunday. He also got rid of his entire training team in a shock move to fire himself up. Now he’s brought on Andre Agassi in time for the start of the French Open.

The partnership between Novak Djokovic makes a lot of sense. Both players are considered the greatest return servers of their time. Their style of play is very similar and at this stage in Djokovic’s career, pairing up with Agassi is a more cohesive partnership than the coaching situation he had with Boris Becker. Becker, a serve-and-volley player who won his slams at an early age, helped the Serbian achieve six of his 12 Grand Slams.

There was locker room chatter when Djokovic parted ways with Becker, instrumental in so much of his success. Furthermore, when he fired his team last month — including coach Marian Vajda, fitness trainer Gebhard Phil-Gritsch and phyio Miljan Amanavic — the move signified a crisis for the once dominant player.

But by bringing on Agassi, he’s found a new coach who he can relate to more, at this age and stage of his tennis career. Both Agassi and Djokovic won their first and only French Open at age 29. Djokovic just turned 30. Although the American legend is more of a late bloomer than Djokovic in many ways, the current world No. 2 is looking for inspiration going into his 30’s. He’s a changed man: he’s a father with baby number two on the way, he’s a philanthropist and he’s dropped many hints that tennis is no longer the singular focus of his life. The Serbian talked about his decision after his loss to Zverev in Rome.

“I have tremendous respect for him as a person and a player,” Djokovic said to the press. “He understands the game incredibly well. On the other hand, he nurtures family values. He is involved in philanthropy. He can contribute to my life on and off the court.”

After Agassi won at Roland Garros, he went on to collect three more Australian Opens, with the last one at age 32. It is this post-30 success where the 12-time slam champion is looking for inspiration. The year that the eight-time champion won the French Open in 1999 was the same year he won the US Open and made it to the final of Wimbledon. Djokovic boasts a similar stat from last year, having won the Australian and French crowns, but losing in his third final from 2016, at the US Open. Three finals, two Grand Slam titles.

Both tennis players hold the career slam, with titles in all four Slams. Agassi also achieved his later Slams after becoming a father of a young child with his wife, Stefi Graf (they have two).

Both tennis legends have also achieved greatness during a time when there was someone just a bit better than them. In Agassi’s case, it was Pistol Pete, the 14-time slam champion Pete Sampras, who always seemed to have the upper hand with his all-around game compared to the great returner from Las Vegas. The two of them carried a bitter rivalry in person as well.

For Djokovic, he’s had the bad luck of excelling during the time of two great legends, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Federer, with an all-around game similar to Sampras, has had some tense moments with the Serbian, even once telling his parents to shut up in a live match. Djokovic’s relationship with Rafa has been more cordial. Both players have managed to retain a greater record than Nole. After three years, the Spaniard managed to beat him in the Madrid semifinal a week ago.

Boris Becker’s last slam win was at the age of 29. He never won while married with children. He also never won the French Open, which comes up next week. There are few tennis players who can relate to that kind of pressure and work-life balance. There are even fewer tennis competitors who have achieved into their 30’s.

Djokovic is determined to be one of those greats. Agassi is the right choice to achieve that status.

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