"Wouldn't shock me to see Boris Becker in the mix" - Andy Roddick on Novak Djokovic possibly turning to ex-coach after Goran Ivanisevic split

Boris Becker (L), Novak Djokovic (R), Andy Roddick (inset)
Boris Becker (L), Novak Djokovic (R), Andy Roddick (inset)

Andy Roddick recently weighed in on Novak Djokovic’s split with coach Goran Ivanisevic and the Serb’s next possible moves, including rehiring Boris Becker.

Djokovic announced 2001 Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic’s departure from his team on Wednesday, March 27. The mid-season coaching shake-up came as a surprise to many in the tennis world, including Roddick.

Touching up on the split, Roddick shared his prediction on who could be next in line to replace Ivanisevic.

"Seems like he always kind of ends back up with [Marian Vajda] when something like this happens. That’s happened a couple of times," Roddick said during a conversation on Tennis Channel.

Novak Djokovic’s partnership with Marian Vajda goes back a long way. The pair first teamed up in 2006. While the Serb made several new additions to his team, including Boris Becker (2013-2016), Vajda retained his coaching position through 2017.

Andre Agassi served as the Serb's coach from 2017-2018. Following their split, he returned to Marian Vajda the same year. The Slovak coach then partnered with Goran Ivanisevic (who was hired a few months later) until he resigned from his position in 2022.

Noting Djokovic’s tendency to rehire his former coaches, Andy Roddick said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Boris Becker returning to the team after Goran Ivanisevic’s departure.

"This is pure speculation; I know nothing but it wouldn’t shock me to see Becker in the mix of that conversation," he said.

Becker, who most recently coached Holger Rune, is responsible for six of the Serb’s 24 Major titles, including the completion of the career Grand Slam.


"Novak Djokovic can only take opinions from a certain amount of people" – Andy Roddick on Serb's partnerships with Boris Becker & Goran Ivanisevic

Boris Becker (L) pictured with the Serb at the 2020 ATP Cup
Boris Becker (L) pictured with the Serb at the 2020 ATP Cup

Given Novak Djokovic’s legendary achievements, Andy Roddick opined that only a handful of people would qualify for the coaching role.

"But the one thing is that Novak can only take opinions from a certain amount of people on earth, that’s why he went with [Boris Becker]; that’s why he goes with [Goran Ivanisevic]. People who know those situations," he said about the former Wimbledon champions on Tennis Channel.
"I’ll be very curious to see what his next steps are," Roddick added.

The former World No. 1 reiterated that he believes someone well-acquainted with the Serb would likely bag the position.

"I just think [it’d be] kind of a known entity. It’d be hard for me to think someone 37-years-old goes with an entirely new scenario. Like he just goes through the vetting process, gets to know someone," he said.

Roddick also pointed out the complications of mid-season coaching changes, with Novak Djokovic gearing up to defend his French Open title.

"You’re on a short-ish timeline going into Roland Garros, so my instinct is that he goes back into something that is known; that is familiar. I’d be surprised if six-eight weeks out from Roland Garros, he just starts an entirely new relationship. But I’ve been wrong before, I’ll be wrong again, but I’d be surprised if it was someone completely new," Andy Roddick added.

Following his Miami Open withdrawal, the Serb is expected to resume his campaign at the Monte-Carlo Masters (April 6-14), where he will chase his first title of 2024.

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