I just help Novak focus on triumph
ANDRE AGASSI is determined to bring out Novak Djokovic’s fighting best by ensuring his mind is clear and focused.
The former world No.1 recently started working with eight-time Grand Slam champion Agassi in a bid to reinvigorate his game.
Djokovic’s results over the past 12 year have been relatively modest and the Serb has slipped to No.4.
The arrangement has been described as informal and the American insists there’s little he can teach the 12-time major winner from a technical point of view.
Agassi said: “I don’t know if I’d call it coach.
“If I’d taken on a young player – you mould those players off the court, on the court. You almost implant your brain into them.
“But Novak is a champion, he has been moulded, he knows what he is doing. You have to find the buttons that make him the best he is, give him some tools.
“It’s not about full-time, it is not about teaching him to win. We’ve seen him do that plenty of times. It is about finding the parts that help him feel clear, so he is able to execute his best game with conviction. It is about clarity and fight, to believe good things are ahead.”
Second seed Djokovic faces Frenchman Adrian Mannarino today in the fourth round after a straight-sets victory over Ernests Gulbis on Saturday.
Agassi added: “If we fight, we start thinking about the other side of the court a bit more – there is a human over there that has to beat you. I like to see him when he is out there feeling clear, he is just remarkable.
“When a player hesitates or doesn’t have conviction, or questions what they are doing, this is enough to make the difference.”