Novak Djokovic hires Boris Becker as Coach

[klacr]

Breaking story...

Novak Djokovic has hired Boris Becker as his official head coach. Interesting stuff. No one saw this coming.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/t...2535--ten.html

Also, Stefan Edberg and Roger Federer reported to have been working together in Dubai.

Becker and Edberg renewing their rivalry through their players...Djokovic and Federer.
Music to my ears. Perhaps they will encourage them to approach the net more...yes...could this be the spark that ignites a move forward, attacking, dare I say serve and volley revolution. I'm smiling at the possibilities right now...

Remember, can't start a fire without a spark...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129kuDCQtHs

If Courtney Cox shows up at a tennis event I will be totally convinced!!!

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Strange move

Now this is an odd move. Djokovic has done so well under Vajda. I am just wondering what Becker has to offer other than his legend status. He's not the brightest mind in tennis compared to other former top players either.

Djokovic's coaching team are a rock solid outfit. Why change it? For Becker's grass court experience perhaps?

[klacr]

Marian Vajda is still in the Djokovic camp and will oversee the day to day operations of the training. Becker is on as head coach. Certainly has surprised many people. Guess we'll find out very quickly in Australia. Will it be a Lendl-Murray-esque example or a Sharapova-Connors disaster.

2014 just got much more interesting.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[GeoffWilliams]

He'll pump and dump him.

[julian1]

Wimbledon

Now this is an odd move. Djokovic has done so well under Vajda. I am just wondering what Becker has to offer other than his legend status. He's not the brightest mind in tennis compared to other former top players either.

Djokovic's coaching team are a rock solid outfit. Why change it? For Becker's grass court experience perhaps?

The decision was discussed for last couple of months.
It is based on a projection that the next Wimbledon final will be Murray vs Djokovic.
As far as technique goes some technical adjustments just for grass are possible
in the case of double handed backhand

[tennis_chiro]

Dumbfounded!

Everything Djokovic has done the last few years seemed to be so smart. He's demonstrated tremendous loyalty to his team. He's gotten engaged to Risic and she is apparently very bright. Vajda has been terrific for him. I think it is probably that the only way that Becker would get involved is if he got the "Head Coach" title. I think Vajda may be the one who wanted Becker's input and the only way he could get it was to agree to sit in the back seat for a while. He has never seemed to be one to be enamoured of the spotlight for himself. It just seems out of character for what Nole has done the last three years...plus being on a long win streak right now. At least, I hope that is what is going on

don

[stotty]

Everything Djokovic has done the last few years seemed to be so smart. He's demonstrated tremendous loyalty to his team. He's gotten engaged to Risic and she is apparently very bright. Vajda has been terrific for him. I think it is probably that the only way that Becker would get involved is if he got the "Head Coach" title. I think Vajda may be the one who wanted Becker's input and the only way he could get it was to agree to sit in the back seat for a while. He has never seemed to be one to be enamoured of the spotlight for himself. It just seems out of character for what Nole has done the last three years...plus being on a long win streak right now. At least, I hope that is what is going on

don

It's hard to fathom. It's even harder to know what Becker can add. Vadja has honed Djokovic's net game in to all it ever can be...mopping up. Djokovic could serve better more often, and he could return more aggressively on grass, but outside of this it would be hard to know what to work on, what could be improved, stroke-wise.

Becker is no 'think tank' like Vajda. It's hard to see him masterminding a dismantling strategy like Vajda did over Nadal. Vajda hasn't managed Murray too well recently, but this has been the only impasse so far, and it's not as if Djokovic hasn't had success over Murray...just not in recent times...when it has most counted...but given time, Vajda might solve this riddle too.

You cannot compare Becker to Lendl either. Lendl went to great lengths to stay low-profile when taking on Murray...declining virtually all interviews. The British press found Lendl more interesting than Murray, Lendl knew this. Lendl knew there was a danger he could overshadow his charge and went to great lengths to put himself in the background. Becker has an ego the size of China...can you see him instigating a low profile role for himself?

Since Lendl took to coaching, all the former legends seem to be seeking a similar role.

[johnyandell]

Agree with Stotty. Boris seems to live to pump himself up with the sound of his own voice. Love him, but...

[klacr]

Boris Becker's ego can't take a back seat to the star that is Djokovic. But it will have to if both these men want it to last.

Stotty and John are spot on...

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[julian1]

Wojciech Fibak

Breaking story...

Novak Djokovic has hired Boris Becker as his official head coach. Interesting stuff. No one saw this coming.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/t...2535--ten.html

Also, Stefan Edberg and Roger Federer reported to have been working together in Dubai.

Becker and Edberg renewing their rivalry through their players...Djokovic and Federer.
Music to my ears. Perhaps they will encourage them to approach the net more...yes...could this be the spark that ignites a move forward, attacking, dare I say serve and volley revolution. I'm smiling at the possibilities right now...

Remember, can't start a fire without a spark...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129kuDCQtHs

If Courtney Cox shows up at a tennis event I will be totally convinced!!!

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

It is NOT as sudden as you are saying.
Wojciech Fibak was hired as a consultant for "serve and volley" before August 2013

[klacr]

It is NOT as sudden as you are saying.
Wojciech Fibak was hired as a consultant for "serve and volley" before August 2013

How long did Fibak last?

All due respect to Wojciech Fibak, Poland's most successful player before Janowicz, that partnership didn't last that long.

Important to note, Djokovic also worked with Mark Woodforde briefly on volleys as well. This Becker decision may be more than just a consultant gig. Or it could be only that but Becker demanded head coach title. As with all things in life, time will tell.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[julian1]

He is still in

How long did Fibak last?

All due respect to Wojciech Fibak, Poland's most successful player before Janowicz, that partnership didn't last that long.

Important to note, Djokovic also worked with Mark Woodforde briefly on volleys as well. This Becker decision may be more than just a consultant gig. Or it could be only that but Becker demanded head coach title. As with all things in life, time will tell.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

He is still in as of yesterday

[klacr]

May be too many cooks in the kitchen.


Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[GeoffWilliams]

Or too many typists behind the keyboard.