London: Andre Agassi, the former world No. 1 and Wimbledon champion, is emerging as a surprise candidate to join Novak Djokovic’s backroom team, it is learnt.
Having announced a complete clear-out of his coaching and support staff last week, Djokovic hinted in his pre-tournament press conference in Madrid that he was looking for another so-called supercoach. Until his departure at the end of last season, Boris Becker managed to improve Djokovic’s conversion rate in major finals.
Now Agassi has all the credentials and experience to help Djokovic — the world No. 2 and reigning French Open champion — in his quest to regain former glories. Djokovic’s agent, Edoardo Artaldi, said last night that no decision had yet been made. “At this point there is no name to be singled out as this is just an initial stage of discussion with interested parties.”
But the process may be more advanced than Djokovic is acknowledging. It is understood that the departed members of his team — coach Marian Vajda, fitness trainer Gebhard Phil-Gritsch and physio Miljan Amanovic — knew their time was up a month ago. In Monte Carlo in the middle of April, they were informing close colleagues of their imminent departures.
Djokovic told reporters in Madrid on Sunday that “it [the next coach] is going to be someone that has been through similar experiences like I have. Not too many people in the past in tennis have managed to get to that stage and play at that level, so I’ll see”.
With his deep pockets — no one tennis player in history has earned more than his $108 million (Dh397 million) prize-money — Djokovic is perfectly placed to attract a big name such as Agassi, who has devoted much of his retirement to setting up charter schools in the US.
In a recent interview, Agassi was asked if he would consider returning to the Tour, perhaps as coach of Nick Kyrgios. “I would not have any room now with my kids, who are 15 and 13,” Agassi replied. “So the answer is no. I couldn’t do it the way I would need to do it.”
But this is where Djokovic has an advantage. As one of the big beasts of the tennis Tour, he could offer the option of a consultant-type head coach role, which might involve only 10 to 12 weeks a year on the road.
In other words, attendance at the four slams plus perhaps the ATP World Tour Finals in London (not that Djokovic’s current position of No 23 in the race will necessarily earn him qualification for the O2 Arena) and Indian Wells, which is not far from Agassi’s base in Las Vegas.
Should the arrangement be confirmed, Djokovic would presumably hire another regular coach to work through regular weeks on Tour in the same way that Andy Murray relies on Jamie Delgado from day to day while turning to Ivan Lendl in a consultancy role.
— The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2017
