Nole fans, what do you think of Coach Becker?

Backspin1183

Backspin1183

Talk Tennis Guru
IMO if Becker is telling Djokovic to end points quickly and attack the net, that's a very bad advice.
Djokovic's advantage over most top players is his speed, stamina, BH and Return of Serve. He will never be better than Stepanek at the net or Isner with the serve.

What do Nole fans think?
 
I'm not too sure anyone, Djokovic fans or not understand why he hired Becker. As you said yourself Backspin1183, Djokovic's game relies on his incredible stamina/flexibility, his great return of serve, and his backhand, who's arguably the best backhand in the game today. He's never really looked comfortable at the net, and I don't think that at this point in his career, Becker will suddendly turn him into a great volleyer and that he will successfully shorten points using that tactic.

Djokovic's best years in his career were under Marian Vajda, I think he should of sticked with him. I predict that the Becker association will be over by the time Wimbledon is around if Djokovic doesn't win the French and/or if he doesn't have a single title to his name around that time.
 
he said he hired becker for his mental toughness, he thought he might help him since djokovic lost 4 gs finals to nadal and murray. unfortunately now hes not even getting to the finals.
 
Still too early to bag Becker. Djokovic is doing some things differently and you got to give it some time man. Novak Djokovic is at least manning up and coming to net during hot points. He is a total baseliner. It is not easy. Maybe things will click. They know more then we do and Those Serbs will bag Becker in a second.
Federer had a good day.
 
I really don't know what Novak was thinking when he got Becker. That man is so full of himself , I'm sure he just saw it as an opportunity to be in the limelight again. I don't see him adding any value as Djoker's coach. A far cry from Lendl or even Edberg. I think even Agassi may have made a better coach than Becker.
The sooner Novak gets rid of him, the better.

And I am asking for the umpteenth time here since I got no answers before, does anyone know why Novak changed the winning combination in his 2011 team that had Dr Igor? I don't know the inside story but it is clear as crystal that Dr Igor took Novak 2.0 with him and he was never the same again(barring USO '11 and AO '12 which was purely based on momentum and mental edge from early 2011).
 
I think they like each other and like to party have fun. Becker is cool. Novak is just chilling he posts his videos. Even in practice. He is in a downward cycle. I do think he will have a couple more really good years. He has been at the top for a long time.
 
Nole was looking for his Lendl and so far it really hasn't come to fruition. Will it happen? Who knows. A bit more time will tell. But frankly watching him rushing the net and getting passed doesn't instill confidence for Nole fans. Like many have stated, Nole's strengths are his stamina and his ability to out slug his opponents. He needed someone more like an Agassi, IMHO.
 
He is perfect for Lendl. and I am Very very sad about that.

Agassi is a master of the game he would be great.
 
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A bit too early to say. This was still only Novak's 2nd tournament post his association with Becker.
Give it time...at least till Wimbledon. If nothing goes right for Novak, then I'm afraid Becker might be disposed off.

On the contrary, once their partnership settles down, he might rise much higher. Every new partnership takes time, even Lendrray took its time before clicking!
 
LazyNinja19 said:
On the contrary, once their partnership settles down, he might rise much higher. Every new partnership takes time, even Lendrray took its time before clicking!
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Lendl-Murray somehow felt right from the get go and one could see what is it that Lendl will bring for Murray. Fact is , their partnership starting showing results sooner than expected because people were of the opinion that we should give it atleast a year to see results.. Barely a month into their partnership, Murray played one of his best matches at AO ever in the SF against Djoker 2.0. Though he lost that cliffhanger, there was no denying that this was the first glimpse of Murray 2.0 and most people thought it was a step forward for him.

He did have a setback after that due to his back acting up partly, but he was as close as he ever was against Federer in the Wimby final too, nearly going two sets up. And of course, he got the slam monkey off his back within 9 months of getting Lendl on board.
 
I haven't been keeping up with the details but can someone here tell me why I see Marian Vajda name under Coach with Becker but I never see him anymore on TV. As an observer, I haven't not seen the success with Becker yet. I know it's early to tell, but losing early at the AO and in semi to Fed today sure didn't help that union one bit. Why change things when they "ain't" broke? Becker was a lousy player, strategically. Suddenly, he will be a good coach after retiring so many years?
 
big ted said:
he said he hired becker for his mental toughness, he thought he might help him since djokovic lost 4 gs finals to nadal and murray. unfortunately now hes not even getting to the finals.
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A bit premature to write him off mentally. I think circumstances conspired against him. Wawrinka and Murray certainly were in inspired form against him. This guy is in good physical shape and will be the man to beat at Slams for a good few years still. I think he has probability on his side, he'll be there or there abouts pretty much every Slam he enters. A level of consistency we've only seen from Federer in post-Agassi times.
 
All I know is he has not only failed to defend 2 titles he won last year in the AO and Dubai, he has failed to even make the finals.

Not very encouraging.
 
He should be given some time.

But if he is not hired for improving Novak's volleys and his aggression then I think that Djokovic is going for a slamless season with a final and couple of quarters.
 
If Becker coaches like he commentates I'd expect Nole to be playing The Donald in challengers this time next year
 
FreeBird said:
He should be given some time.

But if he is not hired for improving Novak's volleys and his aggression then I think that Djokovic is going for a slamless season with a final and couple of quarters.
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I don't why you're obsessed with the net game like some fans of certain players. If Novak improves his volleying skill, wonderful. But the day he starts attacking the net 30-40 times in a match, he'll start losing to more players. Like it or not Djokovic's a baseline machine.

Players like Federer have no choice at 32/33 but to attack the net more. He isn't beating Murray or Djokovic or even Berdych from the baseline.

Players like Stepanek just don't have the speed or flexibility or the strokes to do damage from the baseline. They HAVE to attack the net more. Djokovic can attack the net too but it's his strengths like RoS, superior movement, defense, BH that make him a dominant player.
 
Backspin1183 said:
I don't why you're obsessed with the net game like some fans of certain players. If Novak improves his volleying skill, wonderful. But the day he starts attacking the net 30-40 times in a match, he'll start losing to more players. Like it or not Djokovic's a baseline machine.

Players like Federer have no choice at 32/33 but to attack the net more. He isn't beating Murray or Djokovic or even Berdych from the baseline.

Players like Stepanek just don't have the speed or flexibility or the strokes to do damage from the baseline. They HAVE to attack the net more. Djokovic can attack the net too but it's his strengths like RoS, superior movement, defense, BH that make him a dominant player.
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I am not blabbering about him being a S and V player or a guy who rushes to net every 2nd point. But moments like missing overheads (at W 12, W 13, RG 13) and putaway volleys(AO 14) at tense situations would not have happened if he had shown some more comfort at net.. His BH has become a liability too.
 
Backspin1183 said:
I don't why you're obsessed with the net game like some fans of certain players. If Novak improves his volleying skill, wonderful. But the day he starts attacking the net 30-40 times in a match, he'll start losing to more players. Like it or not Djokovic's a baseline machine.

Players like Federer have no choice at 32/33 but to attack the net more. He isn't beating Murray or Djokovic or even Berdych from the baseline.

Players like Stepanek just don't have the speed or flexibility or the strokes to do damage from the baseline. They HAVE to attack the net more. Djokovic can attack the net too but it's his strengths like RoS, superior movement, defense, BH that make him a dominant player.
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There are no obsessions. There will not be 30-40 times to net. around 20 conversions is a number he needs in order to be successful going forward especially in 5 setters. He can not just baseline bash if he wants a long career.
 
FreeBird said:
I am not blabbering about him being a S and V player or a guy who rushes to net every 2nd point. But moments like missing overheads (at W 12, W 13, RG 13) and putaway volleys(AO 14) at tense situations would not have happened if he had shown some more comfort at net.. His BH has become a liability too.
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I agree that he should improve his overhead and volleys. But he shouldn't change his playing style.

And I think it's stupid to rush to the net every 2nd/3rd point. It shows they have no confidence in their groundstrokes. Karlovic always rushes to the net too. He has a weak BH and can't string 5 shots together.
 
swordtennis said:
There are no obsessions. There will not be 30-40 times to net. around 20 conversions is a number he needs in order to be successful going forward especially in 5 setters. He can not just baseline bash if he wants a long career.
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He can baseline bash for next 3-4 years more. He's not 32. He definitely should attack the net when he puts his opponent in difficult positions.
He's only 26 and should make the most of his strengths. Nothing lasts forever. He'll decline at some point. Until that happens, he's gotta make the best of what he's got.
 
I'm still out on this one. I want to see what can Becker actually say and do that will help Djokovic where he needs it the most, and where Becker failed...RG.
 
FreeBird said:
I am not blabbering about him being a S and V player or a guy who rushes to net every 2nd point. But moments like missing overheads (at W 12, W 13, RG 13) and putaway volleys(AO 14) at tense situations would not have happened if he had shown some more comfort at net.. His BH has become a liability too.
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I agree - I think overall he improved his netgame in 2013, but he's still not comfortable up there. And he's had some very bad misses as you mention. If Becker can make him comfortable there and allow him to come in a bit more behind a great groundstroke, that will help him both in the long and short run.

@Backspin: "He definitely should attack the net when he puts his opponent in difficult positions."
I think this is where Becker can be helpful. Getting him forward on those floaters that he create with his great groundies. So instead of the opponent resetting the point, Novak will get an easy put away. And that - in the end - should make him miss less on the bigger occasions (like vs. Wawrinka at the AO and Nadal at the FO).

For me, the verdict is still out. It isn't as if he's been blown off the court in his two loses. Essentially, he played the exact same match vs. Wawrinka last year with the crucial difference that Wawrinka was winning this time around - but both matches could easily have gone the other way.
And wasn't Becker unofficially on the team just post the US Open? Djoko had a pretty good fall to put it mildly.
 
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C'mon, give Boom Boom and Nole a chance to get things going. The rubber man's trying to change his game in a way that requires a change of mindset, too. That ain't gonna happen in six months even for a champion like Nole.

I hope he sticks to it until it works. I can't wait to see how great an all-court Nole could be when - hopefully not if - things work out well - though I do dream about the weepin' n wailin' when that happens because there won't be a god of dingdongpingpong any more. Just Nole The Terror of Trueblue Grinders. :-)
 
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Backspin1183 said:
IMO if Becker is telling Djokovic to end points quickly and attack the net, that's a very bad advice.
Djokovic's advantage over most top players is his speed, stamina, BH and Return of Serve. He will never be better than Stepanek at the net or Isner with the serve.

What do Nole fans think?
Click to expand...

i agree, i think the older times should stay retired, all of them... jokers edge is his BH and IMO mental toughness
 
swordtennis said:
Still too early to bag Becker. Djokovic is doing some things differently and you got to give it some time man. Novak Djokovic is at least manning up and coming to net during hot points. He is a total baseliner. It is not easy. Maybe things will click. They know more then we do and Those Serbs will bag Becker in a second.
Federer had a good day.
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You don't win several grand slams and change your coach and game when on top. makes no sense to me
 
I've wondered and would be grateful for clarification, did he sack Vajda or add Becker to his team? Ie is Marian still in the picture? Never fully understood the new setup. Links or explanations much appreciated.
 
Djokovic has lost to the Australian Open champion and a rejuvenated Federer. Let's keep that in mind.

The only thing I see with Nole is nothing new...it seems to me that he struggles to stay focused all the time like he did when he was locked in the zone in 2011.
 
spinovic said:
The only thing I see with Nole is nothing new...it seems to me that he struggles to stay focused all the time like he did when he was locked in the zone in 2011.
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This is exactly what I think the problem is as well. I still believe he's capable of playing the type of tennis he was in 2011, his level in the 1st set against Federer was very high and he was hitting the ball great. The main difference now is he doesn't seem to be able to maintain it throughout the whole match and I do think it all comes down to focus. In 2011 he was so driven and locked in on every point, you could see it in his eyes whereas now he seems to just give up when the going gets tough. If he only had Nadal's mentality it's scary to think how much more he would've achieved. Oh well, nothing lasts forever I guess. :sad:
 
I don't think telling Becker off is going to improve Djokovic's game.
He hasn't been playing badly, it's just that his opponents this year, both of whom ended up winning the tournament, ended up a notch better than him.
It has to do with motivation, I think.
 
Todd Martin was fired by Nole because it never worked out and it seem like Becker is heading into the same direction.

Connors got axed by Sharapova.

Seem like these ex-players are having problem coaching/mentoring the current players(except Lendl).
 
With Murray, Lendl had to add mental toughness (mainly). With Fed, Edberg had to add a tactical dimension (mostly) but with Nole, Boom Boom has also got to work at changing a mostly defensive/passive mindset that's already worked so well.

Who do you think is going to have the toughest coaching job?
 
Novak announced he is getting married and so he hired Becker to plan the bachelor party,and the party has started! Nobody does that better than Becker, and by the time they are done partying there will be no Jelena in sight and wedding will be cancelled.
 
Hitman said:
I'm still out on this one. I want to see what can Becker actually say and do that will help Djokovic where he needs it the most, and where Becker failed...RG.
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Becker wasnt ever supposed to win RG though. He didnt even win a clay title in his career.
 
I see Novak's slices have improved, only difference.

Negative:

Novak is playing passive as sh1t. Needs to get rid of that sh1tty attitude.
 
poofytail said:
Becker wasnt ever supposed to win RG though. He didnt even win a clay title in his career.
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Begs the question then why hire someone who doesn't really know what it takes to win the one thing you desire most.
 
Hitman said:
Begs the question then why hire someone who doesn't really know what it takes to win the one thing you desire most.
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Why don't you go ask Andy Murray that question when Lendl never won the Wimbledon?
And look what happened.
 
Hitman said:
Begs the question then why hire someone who doesn't really know what it takes to win the one thing you desire most.
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I was always baffled by this coaching coach and I never projected it to be a success so wont be surprised if that turns out to be the case as more are feeling now, but it is also too early to draw conclusions and tell if that indeed is the case. He did not play badly in either of his losses but ran into inspired opponents. He played better in them than many of his losses to Nadal last year for instance.

Maybe he has decided not to make RG the be all and end all anymore, figuring it doesnt actually help his chances to win there, and it also ruins his overall year if he doesnt. That would be wise.

If he was going to part with Vajda I figured it would have been after the U.S Open, yet he chose to end the year with him. That suggests to me he was giving him more chance, then ends the year on a huge unbeaten run, playing some of his best tennis ever and fires him. Baffling and not a smart choice IMO.
 
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Solo said:
Why don't you go ask Andy Murray that question when Lendl never won the Wimbledon?
And look what happened.
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Hmmm.

The reason why Murray hired Lendl was the parallel in their careers. Lendl knew better than anyone what it was like to lose 4 slam finals, before winning one. Murray didn't specifically hire Lendl to just win Wimbledon, he hired him to win a slam final period, because he was also 0-4 at one point....the two could relate on that goal.

Exactly what parallel does Novak and Boris have in regards to the main goal that Novak currently has?

See the difference?
 
poofytail said:
I was always baffled by this coaching coach and I never projected it to be a success so wont be surprised if that turns out to be the case as more are feeling now, but it is also too early to draw conclusions and tell if that indeed is the case. He did not play badly in either of his losses but ran into inspired opponents. He played better in them than many of his losses to Nadal last year for instance.

Maybe he has decided not to make RG the be all and end all anymore, figuring it doesnt actually help his chances to win there, and it also ruins his overall year if he doesnt. That would be wise.

If he was going to part with Vajda I figured it would have been after the U.S Open, yet he chose to end the year with him. That suggests to me he was giving him more chance, then ends the year on a huge unbeaten run, playing some of his best tennis ever and fires him. Baffling and not a smart choice IMO.
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I am on Novak's side, and I am not going to get frustrated by what has happened. It is still very early to tell. But with RG coming up, and that being the big goal, I can't see exactly what Becker can bring to the table to help Djokovic battle the title away from Nadal. Maybe I am wrong, and I actually hope I am, but it is a strange choice for Djokovic.
 
2 years later...

Nole Fans, ist Trainer Becker gut oder sehr gut?

munich-germany-21st-sep-2014-former-tennis-pro-boris-becker-sits-in-e7ncd0.jpg


;)
 
I think Novak always try to improve and we should let EVERYONE, every single player out there, give a chance to improve and not start critiquing every single move.

Fans should not be that dumb, eg. Who are the idiots who have started spreading things like Novak's forehand is improved but backhand has not been same as 2011 or something? If you people are out there, then just STFU.
 
Backspin1183 said:
IMO if Becker is telling Djokovic to end points quickly and attack the net, that's a very bad advice.
Djokovic's advantage over most top players is his speed, stamina, BH and Return of Serve. He will never be better than Stepanek at the net or Isner with the serve.

What do Nole fans think?
Click to expand...
At first, Becker was not the right appointment IMO. But Wimbledon 2014 and 2015, as well as 3/4 slams in 2015 proved me wrong. Overall, Nole should keep Boris but add someone else who has knowledge in fast hard courts, like Cincy. He should hire Agassi if possible.
 
Dj is still a mentally weak midget, choking whenever he serves for a grand slam (especially at Roland Garros), and trying silly serve and volleys. Becker has done nothing to help him in this regard- but it's not too bad to choke at Roland Garros in a final, because Nadal OWNS that court (and Dj sees Nadal whenever he serves for a match at Roland Garros).
 
nadal_winning said:
Dj is still a mentally weak midget, choking whenever he serves for a grand slam (especially at Roland Garros), and trying silly serve and volleys. Becker has done nothing to help him in this regard- but it's not too bad to choke at Roland Garros in a final, because Nadal OWNS that court (and Dj sees Nadal whenever he serves for a match at Roland Garros).
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A 12 time GS winner is mentally weak :eek::confused:, stop smoking pot, it has deprived you from making rational statements.:D
 
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