Dubai: Defending Dubai Duty Free Men’s champion Novak Djokovic is getting used to life with six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker being part of his coaching staff, he insists.
Becker became Djokovic’s coach in December last year to help the Serb get greater mental toughness and improve on his recent record in Grand Slam finals.
Djokovic’s start to the season was not the best as per his standards after he went out in an exciting five-setter quarter-final to eventual champion Stanislas Wawrinka last month.
The Australian Open was Djokovic’s debut tournament under Becker’s tutelage following his two losses in Grand Slam finals last year – to Rafael Nadal at the US Open and Andy Murray at Wimbledon, meaning he lost his world No. 1 ranking.
The German tennis legend has been working closely with Djokovic’s long-time coach Marian Vajda for nearly three months now, and the world No. 2 feels the tie-up is paying dividends.
“They are getting along really well and that means a lot to me, because Marian [Vajda] is more than just a coach to me. He’s like a friend, like a brother. We have a very good and friendly relationship. We shared a lot of good and bad moments in my life, in my career, and so he knows me really well,” Djokovic said.
“When Boris joined the team, obviously he had some meetings with myself and with the rest of the team, especially with Marian, to try to understand who I am as a person, as a player and that’s the important thing,” he added.
“Obviously, now they are working together and whatever he [Becker] is trying to work on, he discusses with all of us, and, we all have a big respect for Boris. I’m really glad that he’s in the team, and I feel like he can contribute in a positive way to my game and to my mental approach on the court.”
Becker is currently in Dubai, and is expected to stay on until after Saturday’s final for the scheduled meeting of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), which is set to be launched later this year in partnership with Indian doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi. Djokovic would not be drawn on how exactly he works with Becker.
“I can’t speak about what we talk about on the court, but generally it’s very positive for the start and hopefully he [Becker] can bring us a lot of success,” the world No. 2 said.
