Becker: Djokovic lacking focus

Novak Djokovic knows he did not practice hard enough to defend his No.1 ranking in the second half of 2016, according to Boris Becker, speaking after their coaching partnership ended on Wednesday.

Djokovic took to Facebook to announce the split “after three very successful years,” during which time the Serb won six of his 12 Grand Slam titles, including the French Open crown in June that made him the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four majors at once.

But after a shock third-round loss at Wimbledon at the hands of Sam Querrey, Djokovic won just one more title in 2016, at the Rogers Cup in July. After losing the US Open final to Stan Wawrinka, he could not prevent Andy Murray from claiming the No.1 ranking in November, losing out on the chance to regain the year-end top spot against the Wimbledon champion at the ATP World Tour Finals.

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Speaking to Sky Sports News, Becker confirmed that the decision had been mutual and admitted that, while he understood the nature of Djokovic’s struggles for motivation after fulfilling the childhood dream of winning at Roland Garros, the Serb’s lack of focus had forced him to question their future.

“The last six months have been challenging on many levels,” Becker said. “He wanted to spend more time with his family. And I’m the first one to say, yes, family first. He wanted to pursue other off-court interests – rightfully.

“As a tennis player, you have to be very selfish. It’s all about you, 24-7. That’s okay when you’re 19 or 20, but when you’re 28, 29, and you have a wife, you have a son, other family members, and other business interests, they all come second or third.

“He needed time to reflect on that, time to be with his loved ones. Being there, in that same situation 20 years ago, I said: of course. That’s what you have to do as a man.

“Does that make it easier for the coaching staff? No. Of course not.

“Our hands were tied a little bit. We couldn’t do the work we wanted to do, because he had more important things to do – I understand.

“Then, you question yourself. What’s my role? What’s my situation? Why are we going to New York, Shanghai or Tokyo? Once you raise that question, that’s the beginning.”

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Becker expects Djokovic to rebound in 2017, fired up by the loss of the No.1 ranking and US Open defeat, describing himself as “his No.1 fan for next year,” and urged the Serb to commit to more time on the practice court to reaffirm his dominance of the men’s game.

“He’s got to get back to work, go back to the office, practise these hours and refocus on what made you strong in the first place,” Becker added. “He didn’t spend as much time on the practice court in the last six months as he should have – and he knows that.

“Success like this doesn’t happen by pushing a button. Success like this doesn’t happen by just showing up at a tournament. You have to work your bottom off, because the opposition does the same. But I think he will.”