TENNIS – After watching Boris Becker’s coaching premieres in Melbourne and Dubai, his mentor and former manager Ion Tiriac now gave his comments on this cooperations, “I do not know if Boris Becker is a good coach. Actually I do not know if he’s a coach, maybe just someone who is trying to become one,”. Simone Kemler
Boris Becker and Ion Tiriac have a mutual past that lasts over decades . . . both formed a congenial partnership in the 1980’s and it is fair to say that the one would not have risen without the other. It was Tiriac who at children’s age went to the Becker Family in Leimen to ask for permission to be Boris’ mentor and manager. It is because of him that Becker teamed up with Bob Brett or Günther Bosch and it is the latter who led Boris Becker into being the youngest ever Wimbledon Champion. On the other hand Ion Tiriac became a world known figure because of Boris Becker’s success on the tennis court. And it was the charisma that Becker showed on court that made it easy for Tiriac to market his ‘product’ to the benefit of both bank-accounts. So far, so good – but it is the way both dealt with this gift that was given to them or – in a way produced by them, that makes the difference for these two individuals in the years to come.
After Becker’s retirement from active tennis, both went into very different directions
The Romanian Tiriac made a hugely successful business career that brought him billions and he also got Becker started in business three decades ago with i.e. a Mercedes dealership in Germany. But Becker didn’t really make a good go of it and has been living for decades as a sports celebrity. The German also tried his luck within the German Tennis Federation and as a tournament director in Hamburg – both cooperations ended. So from Becker’s point of view it seems a very feasible and promising idea to go back into the tennis-circuit coaching Novak Djokovic, however his longtime confident Tiriac has now voiced his doubts that Boris is a good coaching fit for Novak Djokovic in an interview with Germany’s ‘Bild am Sonntag’. Since Becker came on board to start the season on Team Djokovic, the ATP No. 2 has not won a title after lifting four to end the 2013 season. The Serb was beaten in the Australian Open quarters by eventual champion Stanislas Wawrinka and went down in the Dubai semis to Roger Federer. “I do not know if Boris Becker is a good coach. Actually I do not know if he’s a coach, maybe just someone who is trying to become one,” says the Romanian, who is also involved in the Mutua Madrid Open and who still counts Becker as a good friend. “If the task of Boris is to improve technique and strokes of Djokovic, then he is the wrong man for a job like this. You cannot teach more in this respect to a world-class player like Novak. A coach should be someone who knows the players better than themselves, who leads them and their thoughts, which provides key percentages, so that they become critical. Look at Lendl with Murray, he has done some serious work mentally with his tennis player.”. Tiriac said his criticism was meant to be constructive and he will surely tell his friend that at their next meeting in person, “These days we don’t see each other more than maybe three or four times a year, but we find time to have a beer together and talk about our children,” said Tiriac, who also managed players such as Guillermo Vilas, Henri Leconte, Goran Ivanisevic and Marat Safin. “There is nothing you can teach more in that area to someone who is a champion and a top world player like Novak.“.
Does Djokovic want to change his game with Boris Becker’s help?
But maybe this is not what the Becker/Djokovic tandem is about: let’s say Djokovic wants to become a tennis-phenomenon like Becker is (strictly with regards to the sport), the Serb would need to move the masses even more than he does already, he would need to make the fans cry, yell, and suffer with him, he would need to make the fans go overboard with joy when winning and THAT might be what the Djoker wants to achieve with Becker by his side. Already during his time in Dubai it was clear that Djokovic was becoming a little bored with constantly being questioned on what Becker might add to his game. “We’re not significantly changing anything,” said Djokovic. “The biggest thing he can contribute is the mental approach. That’s one of the reasons Boris is here, because of the big matches and the Grand Slams. I felt I dropped two or three titles in the last two years I could have won.” So – if that’s what this cooperation is about, then it might just be fair to give them more time – question is: will Becker be able to form a message to bring along to Djokovic and will fans, sponsors and media stay patient to see this happening . . .
As second seed, Djokovic has been handed a bye in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells and then will face either Romanian Victor Hanescu or a qualifier. He is a two times champion of the event played in California’s Coachella Desert, winning in 2008 and 2011.
Simone Kemler
