Novak Djokovic became one of the best players in the world and possibly the history of tennis through his dominance of the ATP Tour over the past decade. He came from a humble background and climbed to the height of the elites, thanks to a number of dedicated coaches who have improved his game. The Djoker had many coaches who believed in his ability and stuck with him to ensure he would realize his potential. Boris Becker was one such coach of the Serbian great. The two split in 2016 when Djokovic was experiencing a slump, but they parted on good terms. Becker retold the conversation between the two in his recent documentary.
Boris Becker’s last discussion with Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic hit a slump in form after mid-2016. The Serb didn’t win any Grand Slam title until 2018, an abnormal feat for someone of his status. Additionally, he fell out of the 2016 Wimbledon in the third round and had a long hard look at his future in the sport. He decided to split with Becker, and the German agreed that it was time for some changes.
In his ongoing Docuseries, Boom! Boom! Boris Becker vs the World, Becker talked about his life in tennis and beyond. According to Becker, one of the most prominent moments in his life was coaching Novak Djokovic. The two partnered up in 2013 and worked together for three years. Their split in 2016 was amicable, and there was no bad blood between the two.
In the documentary, Boris Becker recalled the words he said to Djokovic after they had the discussion about splitting. Becker agreed and said that he would be disappointed if Nole only showed up for the sake of participating and didn’t win anything.
“Well listen, first of all I love you and I respect you and we’ve done something together that’s been an unbelievable journey for me. Boris Becker learned something about me and about tennis and maybe a bit about you. I’m not good at losing and if you want to go to Shanghai and you want to go to Paris and you’re happy to be there, I’m the wrong guy for you. I think we better stop.”
