Novak Djokovic has just completed one of the most sensational tennis seasons ever witnessed in the sport. Four Grand Slam finals, three Grand Slam titles, 6 Masters 1000 wins, 15 consecutive finals, the ATP Finals. A total of 11 titles and $21,592,195 coming into Nole’s pockets. A final count of 82 wins and just 6 losses.
Clearly, it hardly gets any better than that…
Sitting in Novak’s corner all year, witnessing the Serb’s successes and dominance was all along coach Boris Becker. The 6-time Slam champion has joined the Serb’s team in December 2013, making his debut at the 2014 Australian Open in Nole’s box, to witness the defeat of the Serb to Stan Wawrinka, the first defeat in four years at the Australian Open for the Serb.
Things continued much better for Boris and Novak as the year progressed, with the Serb conquering his second Wimbledon title and then finishing the season as World No.1. Then the final explosion with the stellar 2015 season. Clearly the Djokovic-Becker-Vajda team is not going to change in 2016. As the successes started to kick in one after the other, the relationship between Becker and Djokovic evolved. From a rough start of the path, to smooth comprehension and mutual respect. Now, Boris and Novak have found their perfect balance. So much so that at the last ATP Finals in London, Novak said he felt extra motivated to win the final against Roger Federer because it was Boris’s birthday the day of the final.
Clearly, the German could hardly ask any better to his pupil than the almost immaculate 2015 season. But Becker is someone who has never felt shy in front of the media and has always enjoyed his time on the spotlight. Not even the time to close the curtains on the O2 Arena and the German is already starring on the top news. What did Boris say this time?
Making a comparison between the 2015 season of Novak Djokovic and the 2006 season of Roger Federer, the 1989 US Open champion decided to give the edge to the Swiss. Boris went straight on social media and on his Twitter account to make his pick blatantly clear.
Here is the Tweet:
Just a word to all the @rogerfederer fans in the world …he is the GOAT ! 2006 was even better than 2015 but give @DjokerNole respect!!!
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) November 23, 2015
Now, do you think Boris is not aware of the fact that Novak is obviously going to read the post? Has the German momentarily lost his mind to the elation of the great end and well deserved holiday? Was he high on beer?
Not really, and the solution to the riddle is very easy. As tennis has become more popular and coaches have started to share the spotlight with their protects, strategies have been developed both on and off court. A strategy doesn’t necessarily have to be seen under a bad connotation of dirtiness. There is nothing wrong in playing with the media to shuffle around and playing with the best cards.
Do you remember what uncle Toni used to do all the time? According to his uncle, Rafa was never the favourite to win a tournament nor he was ever ready to take the final win for either an injury or some other kind of problems. And then, Rafael would usually end up winning the tournaments.
Boris is doing just that. He is trying to work to take some pressure off the Serb and at the same time he is pushing his protégé to want and do better. After all, finishing a 2015 season like that one, being a husband and father, Novak could face a little tumble in relaxing. Boris is just making sure the Serb doesn’t lose his focus and determination. And to achieve that, the German is teasing his player comparing the Serb to the most beloved and most successful tennis player of his generation, someone who has broken all historic records in tennis, before Novak started to follow in his footsteps.
As the Serb makes history for himself, achieving something not even the Swiss Maestro Federer has ever done, winning the ATP Finals for 4 consecutive years, Boris just made sure Novak entered his resting time knowing what will be at stake for next season: Tennis history, the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) status.
Novak has picked up on that already, probably, and is both a little mad and extra motivated to prove his coach wrong. Just the extra motivation the Serb needed to start the new season on the right foot…
