Abu Dhabi: World No. 2 Novak Djokovic on Thursday revealed that he had roped in Boris Becker as coach to give him the “mental edge” while playing in major tournaments, especially the Grand Slam events.
Djokovic said it was only after consultation with his longtime coach Marian Vajda that he decided he should have the German legend on board. “One of the main reasons, of course, he is a six-time Grand Slam champion and has won so many trophies in his life and he was former No. 1.
“Speaking to Marian in the last few months of the year, we came to the conclusion that I’m going to meet another legendary player who can eventually help me understand what I would like to do in situations like the Grand Slam final stages,” said Djokovic, who is in Abu Dhabi to take part in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.
“He [Becker] had great serves and he can help me in different parts of the game on court as well. In the end, with the combination of both Boris and Marian, I will manage to get better and improve my game,” revealed the reigning champion in Abu Dhabi and is aiming to clinch an unprecedented third title here.
The Serb went on to reveal that there is a lot of camaraderie on his team — Becker, himself and Vajda. However, there is not much of a change that he is looking to bring about in terms of his style of play. “Marian worked with me for the last eight years and it is extremely important to have him for all the discussions and analysis on what I need to do on court to improve and get at least four to five per cent better. I’m not going to make major changes as you know, I’m a complete player. Little details here and there, some adjustments and that’s it.”
Working with two personalities like Becker and Vajda can have its own drawbacks but the 26-year-old was of the view that he had detailed discussions to make sure that all three were on the same wavelength. “There is a point, but if you are working together for a certain goal, then it shouldn’t be. That’s why you meet before [you] start working and talk about it. We had meetings to know if we had things in common. I have to say that the understanding has exceeded my expectations,” said Djokovic, who is expecting the newest member of his coaching staff to join him here.
The Serb insisted his decision to opt for someone of Becker’s stature had nothing to do with British ace Andy Murray’s success rate with Ivan Lendl.
“For Andy, Lendl did a great job and, since the time he came on board, he won two Grand Slams and Olympics. It had definitely helped his game and I’m sure he will also say that. It had definitely helped in a very positive way but my decision to work with Boris hasn’t been inspired with Murray’s,” he said.
