'Novak Djokovic had lost his way' - Boris Becker recalls coaching the mentally struggling Serb

Novak Djokovic's path to greatness was significantly influenced by six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker. The German stepped on board the coaching team of Djokovic in 2014, and the rest as they say is history.

Joining Djokovic's long-time coach Marian Vajda, Boris Becker's brutally honest assessment of Novak Djokovic's game helped the Serb turn into an indefatigable champion with nerves of steel.

'Super coaches' @TheBorisBecker and Stefan Edberg reveal their experiences working with @DjokerNole and @RogerFederer on this week's Tennis Legends podcast 🎾🎧 Subscribe to Tennis Legends here (episode out Thursday): https://t.co/3mJURW1fub

— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) July 6, 2020

On Eurosport's vodcast 'Tennis Legends', Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg - who used to be arch-rivals during their playing days - came together to chat with Mats Wilander about their experience of coaching two GOATs. While Edberg spoke of his tryst with Federer, Boris Becker recalled his incredibly successful stint of coaching the current World No. 1.

Boris Becker with Novak Djokovic

Becker had come on board Djokovic's team at a time when the Serb had lost a few important finals to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Djokovic was desperately seeking to improve his game and mentality, and enlisting the services of the German was exactly what he needed.

Boris Becker played a key role in helping Novak Djokovic change his attitude towards big matches.

“I started with mentality,” Becker said. “Ultimately, it’s about attitude and then how you approach big matches...He had lost his way, he had lost a couple of big finals to Rafa and to Roger, so he was mentally down."

The German has never liked mince his words, and when he was added to Djokovic's team he didn't sugarcoat anything either. He bluntly pointed out all the areas where Djokovic was lacking, and the harsh dissection of the Serb's game acted as a catalyst to turning things around.

“I thought his court positioning was a little off. I thought his old approach was a bit too passive to defend. If he let these guys overtake him, and tough guys do that, so it was a whole package," Becker told Eurosport.

Becker also recalled the initial days of coaching the Serb and being on the sidelines during his matches against Federer and Nadal. During that time, Edberg was on the coaching team of Federer while the German was on Team Nole. This would often lead to peculiar moments off the court, since Becker and Edberg were now good friends while Djokovic and Federer were arch-rivals.

“I remember the very first time I was on the sideline and obviously Novak and Roger were big rivals," Becker said. "After the match, it was a very odd atmosphere in the locker room when you had two guys in the corner looking at each other, and Stefan (Edberg, Federer’s coach at the time) and me chatting back like it is a walk in the park."

Novak Djokovic won six Grand Slams during Boris Becker's coaching tenure

Although they have split, Boris Becker and Novak Djokovic share amicable ties

Having served as Novak Djokovic's coach for a full three seasons between 2014 and 2016, Boris Becker brought in radical changes to the Serb's game. That in turn led to Djokovic collecting as many as six Grand Slams and 14 Masters 1000 titles in the short period.

Thank U ! We had the time of our life ...#teamdjokovic pic.twitter.com/n6uZRd4m1O

— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) December 6, 2016

The highly successful pair, however, called it quits when Djokovic's form began to drop in the latter half of 2016. A mutual decision to part ways professionally was arrived at, but the two remain close associates to this day.

“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 co-­operation, teamwork, dedication and commitment," Novak Djokovic had issued a statement confirming the split of the duo.