Novak Djokovic's decision to part ways with Boris Becker, the man who helped him transform from a perennial Grand Slam contender to a tennis legend is one of the most shocking tennis news of 2016. However, sources close to situation reported the breakup was inevitable ever since the Serb hired Spanish religious guru Pepe Imaz as his adviser.
German Magazine SportsBild reported that Becker felt uncomfortable working with Imaz, whom Djokovic brought in for the purpose of strengthening the mental and emotional aspect of his game.
A source close to situation disclosed that Becker and Marian Vajda weren't happy with some of Djokovic's decision such as allowing Imaz to sit in the coaching box instead of his regular coaches. Apparently, Becker felt he couldn't co-exist with Imaz any longer, giving Djokovic the ultimate to choose who's going to stay in his team.
Last week, Djokovic finally made his decision of breaking up his three-year working relationship with Becker, a move the Serb insisted mutually agreed upon by both parties. Several days later, Djokovic announced that Vajda will stay with the team for his 2017 campaign.
In an interview with ESPN, Becker cleared that his breakup with Djokovic was indeed mutual. However, the decision to go separate ways didn't happen overnight.
The German tennis legend stated that Djokovic's struggle towards the later end of the season because the Serb seems to have lost the desire to push himself to the limit in practice, which is something that disappoints him a lot.
"It was mutual. A decision like this does not happen overnight. It is a progress. I think the last six months have been challenging on many levels. Our hands were tied a little bit because we couldn't do the work we wanted to do," Becker told reporters via ESPN.
Djokovic's decision to let Becker walk away could be a blessing in disguise for other up-and-coming players looking for a breakthrough victory in Grand Slam events. Many tennis analysts consider Becker as the hottest free-agent as far as the market for coaches is concerned.
