Ex-coach Becker: “I was worried something like this might happen”

After the bitter end of his former protégé, Boris Becker looks for the reasons for Novak Djokovic’s lack of control in the last sixteen of the US Open, and finds them.

For Boris Becker, who coached Novak Djokovic from late 2013 to 2016, one thing is clear: disqualification from the US Open is a career low for the Serbian. And he will make his mark on the world number one: “The events of the fourth round will have been embarrassing and frustrating for him. The fines will be expensive, but other aspects will hurt him more ”, believes Becker. The German has several explanations for the lack of control of his now experienced former protégé.

Becker sees a first cause in the course of the game. Djokovic’s frustration built up over the course of the first set against Carreño Busta, especially when the score was 5: 4 in the first set, when the Serbian was unable to use several break balls. «The Spanish returned to defend himself from a prepared ball, with a set piece. That is almost an insult to the majesty. Novak sees it exactly the same way and has already started to lose his temper, “Becker commented on” Eurosport “immediately after the incident.

For Becker, there are other reasons for the defection of the Serbs. “For me, he pays the price for taking on too much before and during a Grand Slam tournament. Especially with the leadership of a new players association, “Becker writes in a report for” dailymail. ”

“I was worried something like this might happen”

For example, Djokovic personally answered the phone when the health authority refused to let Adrian Mannarino play due to concerns about the crown’s safety. He even played a game that night himself. Most of the better players would have turned on their agent or something, but Novak took care of it. You cannot accumulate this additional pressure in a Grand Slam, ”says the German.

Becker is also surprised that veteran coach Marjan Vaida is not among the three people Djokovic can bring to the tournament at Flushing Meadows. “He’s Novak’s husband, someone who’s very laid-back and has a kind of father figure influence, but he wasn’t there,” Becker writes, recalling a similar incident during his time as the Serbian’s coach.

In 2016 at the French Open, Djokovic narrowly missed a linesman. Recalls Becker: “I told him you can scream as much as you want, you can break your bat, but you can’t throw anything or throw the ball. I was worried that something like this might happen.

Greater strength than weakness

For Becker, one thing above all shows that such a lack of control over the world’s No. 1 is now fatal: “As with everyone else, Novak’s greatest strength can also be a weakness. He is an emotional gamer with a street fighter mentality. It’s the kind of fire that earned him 17 Grand Slam titles. “

Becker still loves his former protégé very much. “She’s a sociable person and she wants to be valued that way,” the 52-year-old writes, but emphasizes: “She plays in the era of the two tennis gods, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, and is a rare guest. I think it bothers her that I’m not as popular as she is. ”

He therefore advises Serbs to refocus exclusively on the tennis court, at least temporarily. “He should go home, talk to his wife Jelena, who knows him best, talk to Vajda, go back to training ground and fully concentrate on his tennis.” Djokovic’s next shot at the 18th Grand Slam title is right around the corner. This year’s French Open begins in Paris on September 21.