Novak Djokovic ‘GLAD’ to see Boris Becker return to the Tour as coach of Holger Rune, admits it will be difficult to see him in the opposite box

Novak Djokovic was previously under the tutelage of Boris Becker for three years.

Novak Djokovic ‘GLAD’ to see Boris Becker return to the Tour as coach of Holger Rune, admits it will be difficult to see him in the opposite box

Novak Djokovic and Boris Becker. (Image via The New York Times)

World No.1 Novak Djokovic has admitted that he is glad that Boris Becker has returned to the tour as Holger Rune‘s coach. Becker had been the Serb’s coach from 2013 to 2016 where Novak had won 6 Grand Slams and 14 Masters 1000 titles. However, since that tenure, the German has not been seen on the tour.

However, this changed when a partnership was drawn up between Becker and Rune. The former World No. 4 was turning heads in the tennis world as he broke into the top ten merely a few years after entering the tour. His most significant match was the 2022 Roland Garros where he made it to the quarter-final. He lost to Casper Ruud, who would later go on to make it to the final. However, he still made an impact on the audience.

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Novak Djokovic had commented on his former coach Boris Becker returning to the tour as the Danish youngster’s coach. He said:

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Boris is a dear friend, so I'm really glad to see him back on the tour as a coach. It's not gonna be nice and comfortable for me to have him in the opposite box If I play Holger. But I love him and his family a lot.

The partnership between Becker and the World No. 1 was a success since Novak won six of his 24 Grand Slam titles when he was under the tutelage of the German.

However, Boris Becker has not had a dull career himself. He had won 6 Grand Slam titles during the tenure of his career. He had also won the Olympic Gold in the doubles category at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. In 1991, he reached a career-high ranking of World No. 1 and held on to the top spot for nine weeks. The German is one of the coaches on the tour who has enough experience at the top of the tables to coach an up-and-comer.

Holger Rune and Boris Becker strike up a partnership

World No. 6 Holger Rune’s team had earlier confirmed that the Dane has hired former World No.1 Boris Becker as his coach. He had earlier been coached by Lars Christensen. However, this partnership seemed to be on its last leg when the 20-year-old hired the veteran tennis player.

Holger Rune (L) and Boris Becker (R)
Holger Rune (L) and Boris Becker (R). (Image via Eurosport and BBC)

Prior to the agreement between Rune and Becker, the Dane was coached by Lars Christensen. While this partnership seemed to be working the first few years, he began to see a dry spell in the last couple of months. However, his new partnership with the former World No. 1 seemed to be working for Rune. He is now set to face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-final of the Basel 500 event.

The partnership with Holger is not the first coaching stint for the German veteran. He had earlier been coach to Novak Djokovic from 2013 to 2016, when the Serb was at his absolute peak. He helped Novak win 6 Grand Slam titles and 14 Masters 1000 titles. It is safe to say Becker has ample experience as both a player and a coach.

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