Djokovic has offered to help Becker in prison

World No 1 eases past Bedene and reaches out to old coach Nadal to take on his uncle’s student Auger-aliassime next

After his comfortable third-round victory at the French Open, world No1 Novak Djokovic took time to express concern for Boris Becker – his former coach and mentor – and to disclose that he has been in touch with the German’s son, Noah, to offer assistance.

Becker spent three seasons working on Djokovic’s support staff, from 2014 to 2016. In that time, he helped transform his client’s reputation from a shaky closer-out of tournaments into a cold-eyed winner.

The two men have remained in close touch since, and Djokovic described himself as “heartbroken” when the news first broke of Becker’s 2½-year jail sentence for concealing assets. The subject came up again after Djokovic’s routine 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Aljaz Bedene, the Slovenian who spent a couple of years playing under the British flag but has now reverted to his original nationality.

On Becker, Djokovic said: “Even when we stopped working, our relationship kept going in a right way. I have been in touch with one of his sons, Noah, asking if there was something that I could do.”

Although Djokovic is due in London next month to defend his Wimbledon title, he will probably not be able to visit Becker, who was recently moved from the category B prison at Wandsworth in south London to a more relaxed environment in Huntercombe, Oxfordshire.

This is thought to be a sign that Becker will shortly be deported to

Germany – an experience that Djokovic himself encountered in Australia four months ago, albeit in very different circumstances.

“It’s terrible,” Djokovic said. “I’m just very sad that someone I know so well, and of course someone that is a legend of our sport, is going through what he’s going through. We know how long he has to be there. So I just hope that he will stay healthy and strong.”

Djokovic will tomorrow play Diego Schwartzman, the 15th seed from Argentina.

The Serb also spoke about Australia, the nation where he has won nine of his 20 major titles. In January, he had his Australian visa cancelled in a row over his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid. This automatically triggered a three-year ban from re-entering the country, although there are hopes that Anthony Albanese’s new Labor government could waive the penalty.

“I don’t know anything about whether my visa is going to be reinstated or whether I’m going to be allowed to come back to Australia,” Djokovic said. “I don’t hold any grudges. If I have an opportunity to go back to Australia and play in a place where I made the biggest success in my career on grand slams, I would love to come back.”

Rafael Nadal swept past Botic van de Zandschulp, of Holland, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to earn a crack at ninth seed Felix Auger-aliassime tomorrow. It is a fascinating draw because Nadal’s uncle, Toni, has been coaching Auger-aliassime, a 21-year-old Canadian, for a little over a year.

“I already talked with Toni after my match,” Nadal said. “He’s my uncle. I don’t think he will be able to want me to lose, but he’s a professional and he’s with another player.

“I don’t know if he’s going to stay in the box or not, but I don’t care. I have zero problem with that.”