Following mounting speculation, Novak Djokovic has confirmed that he has ended his collaboration with coach Boris Becker after three years together.
Towards the end of this season, both Djokovic and Becker have been reluctant to discuss their future plans on the tour. The former world No.1 has endured a roller coaster second half of the year as he struggled for motivation and was hampered by injury issues. At his final tournament of the year, the ATP Finals, Djokovic charged to the final before succumbing in straight sets to Andy Murray. Shortly after that loss in London, Becker described it as ‘the worst match’ Djokovic has played whilst under his guidance.
The confirmation of the split was announced by Djokovic in a statement, who also declared that he will be making his own decision for the foreseeable future.
“After three very successful years, Boris Becker and I have jointly decided to end our cooperation. The goals we set when we started working together have been completely fulfilled, and I want to thank him for the cooperation, teamwork, dedication and commitment.” Djokovic wrote on Facebook.
“On the other hand, my professional plans are now directed primarily to maintain a good level of play, and also to make a good schedule and new goals for the next season. In this regard I will make all future decisions.”
Djokovic’s three-year partnership with Becker is regarded as one of the most successful in the modern era. During their time together the Serbian won 25 ATP titles, including six grand slam trophies and 14 Masters 1000 tournaments. In 2015 Djokovic became the first tennis player in history to earn over $20 million in prize money within a season.
Thank U ! We had the time of our life …#teamdjokovic pic.twitter.com/n6uZRd4m1O
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) December 6, 2016
As Djokovic shows no indication of replacing Becker anytime soon, longtime coach Marian Vajda will continue his work with the 30-year-old. The Slovakian coach has been a prominent feature in Djokovic’s camp since 2006. It has been reported that the two men will host talks to discuss how many tournaments Vajda will travel to in 2017.
The 12-time grand slam champion will start his 2017 season in the first week of January at the Doha Open, where he will be trying to defend his title.
