Andy Roddick has been offering his verdict on Novak Djokovic’s coaching situation.
The Serbian superstar, who has endured a tough start to the new season by his standards, has recently announced a split between himself and his coach Goran Ivanisevic.
It was a decision that shocked many, further plunging his year into uncertainty as he seeks to add to his unrivalled legacy.
But who does Roddick think would be a good fit for the new vacancy? We take a closer look…
Andy Roddick on Novak Djokovic’s coaching situation
Speaking to the Tennis Channel, the two pundits in the studio were seeking to theorise where Djokovic goes from here.
After all, these are uncharted waters for the legendary figure, who will be entering the Clay Court season without any silverware to his name in 2024.
Andy Roddick was drafted in to offer his initial verdict on the news: ‘I was surprised. You don’t look to make moves in March, or April. This has had to be a surprise to both of them, there had to be something to set this in motion mid-season.
‘Djokovic has kind of turned over his entire team, from his management, now Ivanisevic. I’ll be curious to see who he goes to next, it seems like he always ends back up with [Marian] Vajda when something like this happens.
‘One thing is that Novak can only take opinions from a certain amount of people on earth. That’s why he went with Becker, that’s why he goes with Goran. People who know those situations. I’ll be very curious to see what his next steps are.’
He too was then asked who might be a good fit for his next coach: ‘I don’t know, that’s a tough one. I just think a known entity, it would be hard for me to think someone 37 years old goes with an entirely new scenario, goes through the vetting process, gets to know someone.
‘You’re on a short-ish timeline going into Roland-Garros so my instant is that he goes back into something that is known, that is familiar. I’d be surprised if like six to eight weeks out from Roland-Garros he just starts an entirely new relationship but I’ve been wrong before and I’ll be wrong again.
‘It wouldn’t shock me to see Becker in the mix of that conversation.’
Novak Djokovic will want a Roland-Garros comeback
Well, without winning his customary Australian Open title, having been thwarted by the unstoppable young gem Jannik Sinner, Djokovic will have to redirect his attention.
That will inevitably fall onto the next Grand Slam, as an elite honour which would further extend his superiority over the sport.
No male tennis player has, or likely ever will, surpass the 24 major titles he currently boasts. To add to it would be sensational.
Although, on paper Roland-Garros is his least successful slam, having only won it three times.
Not only that, but Rafael Nadal will have been engineering his recovery around this tournament too, and should he be fit then the tournament will be a foregone conclusion.
It promises to be an intriguing battle of the ageing legends, with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner seeking to upset that romantic veteran success.
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