If world Number 1 Novak Djokovic wins the Miami Open in 2016 he will achieve three milestones.
He will be the first player to win 28 Masters tournaments. He will equal Agassi’s record of six Miami triumps and also Agassi’s record of three Miami wins in a row.
He will also have won 713 matches on the tour, equalling his coach Boris Beckers’s tally of 713 wins.
The number of 713 will be of only small statistical significance with Djokovic joining Becker as joint 11 on the list where Sampras is at 10 and Nadal at 9. Connors, Lendl and Federer, of course are the only three players to cross 1000 wins.
However it will be emotional for both Djokovic and Becker for it will be symbolic of their close association since Djokovic hired Becker as coach in December 2013.
At the time of this partnership, Djokovic – like Becker – had six Grand Slams, but more worrying for him was that he had lost four of the last five finals he played. The partnership did not start well, with Djokovic losing the quarter final of the 2014 Australian Open.
However it then slowly took off and after the French Open final loss to Rafa in 2014 the results have never stopped improving. Djokovic already has added five Grand Slams to his tally and seems set for many more
What does Djokovic himself say about it.
“It started with Rome in May 2014,” said Djokovic. “I started to feel we were making the right connection and then came the final of the French Open and before winning Wimbledon. That swing of about two months really catapulted us to a positive side.”
Djokovic goes on to say that Becker is so motivated that it almost is as if he himself is playing instead of being a coach watching his student playing. Djokovic says that Becker lives every point.
‘Boris, for sure he’s got a different motivation now than he had when he was playing. He’s going through the emotions with me like when he was playing, at least that’s what we talk about and that’s what he tells me. I can see that. There are times when he doesn’t sleep well before the big match.”
Djokovic goes on to say that Becker is extremely tough mentally as a coach and never shows his weakness and this has helped him too to overcome challenges, both mental and physical. In fact that was one of the reasons Djokovic hired Becker in the first place and no secret that Murray hiring Lendl was one of the reasons for Djokovic also going the same route.
The physical fragility of the late 2000s, had been taken care after he was diagnosed with gluten intolerance in 2010 and modified his diet. However worrying was that it had apparently been replaced by mental fragility. Djokovic apparently thought that Becker is the right person to overcome this, and later events show he was correct
What does Becker think of Djokovic. “He’s a tough cookie, I call him a street fighter and when the going gets tough, he gets better. When he bleeds a little bit, he goes forward. That’s his trademark.”
Interestingly after Becker took over as head coach he recognised that the main threat to Djokovic was not sporadic fighters like Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic or permanent under achievers like Andy Murray and the fading Rafael Nadal, but the ageing yet supremely fit Roger Federer.
Therefore possibly Becker indulged in mind games by saying that Federer and Djokovic “don’t really like each other” and Federer “cannot possibly be as nice as he seems.” A surprised Federer who frequently listed Stefan Edberg (his coach), and Becker (Djokovic’s coach) as the players who inspired him growing up called such comments unnecessary, calling himself as a relaxed, friendly and polite guy and also calling Djokovic as extremely fair.
Later Becker said on Twitter that he was “misquoted” in various media stories and has the “utmost respect” for Federer. However the damage was done by then.
“We are on a high and the whole team is ecstatic,” said an elated Becker after Djokovic had denied Roger Federer a record eighth Wimbledon title for the second year running in 2015.
“This is a very special day in our lives.”
So, was it strategic mind-games? Your guess is as good as mine.
Will the partnership continue? Yes, for the duo are doing wonderful things together. Djokovic himself says that the continuity of these results is giving them a lot of hope.
Top on the list of goals will be an assault on Federer’s 17 Grand Slam Titles and 302 weeks at Number 1 or a win at the French Open, the only major to have eluded Djokovic.
As regards Masters 1000, he is already at the top, therefore his own record of 35 or maybe even 40 plus Masters wins is possible.
Exciting times seem ahead for super coach Becker and super student Djokovic.
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