Andy has it all to lose next year, says Becker as he prepares for end to his reign with Novak
BORIS Becker’s occasionally turbulent, often hugely successful reign as Novak Djokovic’s coach appears to be nearing its end. Sitting down with him in the splendid surrounds of the Royal Albert Hall, there is a sense that he is talking about the end of a chapter, rather than about writing a new one with his remarkable athlete.
In a rare interview since his client’s relative — by his standards — decline, the 49-year-old former Wimbledon champion at one point lapses into the past tense when reviewing their time together.
While picking some words carefully, what he clearly admits is that, two weeks on, he is baffled by Djokovic’s abject performance against Andy Murray in the Barclays ATP World Tour final.
He also offers the forthright opinion that Murray will ‘ride the wave’ he is currently on through the first four months of next year but then will find the going much heavier when the summer programme gets going in May.
Of him sorting out his future in the sometimes crowded support box of Djokovic, he says: ‘We are in the process but I can’t tell you anything more than that. I couldn’t tell you yes and I couldn’t tell you no.
‘I enjoyed the last three years, I had a blast. I was in my element and I will continue to be in my element in the future. No regrets, it was an unbelievable ride.’
If it is to come to an end — as his use of the past tense suggests — then it will not have ended on a satisfactory note. The straight-sets defeat that dramatically secured the No1 slot for Murray on the last day of the regular season clearly came as a complete shock.
‘I thought Novak in the semi-final against (Kei) Nishikori played the way he played in the first six months of the year. That’s how well he can play when everything is in place,’ continues Becker.
‘I couldn’t believe how badly he played in the final given the circumstances. That was probably, under my guidance, the worst match he has played and two weeks on I still don’t know what happened.
‘Andy must have felt like an old man getting up after that marathon (the three-and-a-half-hour semi-final on the Saturday against Milos Raonic). I felt we were in a good position.’
He admires Murray’s achievements but suspects, with a huge amount of ranking points to defend from early May onwards, the 29-year-old Scot will eventually find his remarkable recent run hard to sustain.
‘I still think he is going to be riding the wave coming to Australia, and in the American events in March, because that was the only time he played badly this year,’ says Becker. ‘I think he is going to start to feel it in May. It’s one thing playing up with nothing to lose, but it’s a whole new ball game when you’ve got something to lose; the consequences of being world No1.
‘There are responsibilities and expectations so it becomes more strenuous. But I think he will be fine until the clay court swing.’
And what of Djokovic’s descent from the extraordinary standards he set in the first half of 2016? Reasons put forward include marital difficulties, injuries and a loss of motivation after the achievement of winning his first French Open to hold all four Grand Slams at once.
By the time they got to the O2 Arena he had three coaches in tow — Becker, his long-time mentor Marian Vajda and Spaniard Pepe Imaz, the coach-cum-spiritual guru who proclaims peace and love.
‘Look, I’m on the inside, I know everything, and I can’t tell you,’ says Becker. ‘I love my player and will protect him and will never say anything about that, so I will have to plead the fifth amendment.’
And then Becker takes a final look back on his season with Djokovic, although he could have been talking about the year for tennis as a whole.
‘It was interesting, challenging. There was never a dull moment,’ he concludes.
Boris Becker is a proud ambassador for Anakena Wines. To view his tales of ‘Ambition & Dedication’, follow @ AnakenaWinesUK. #RiseUp