Novak Djokovic is one of, if not the most successful tennis player of all time. The achievements of this man are something we could talk about for decades. However, as successful as Djokovic has been in his own career, many are curious as to what he will do once he hangs his rackets up for good. After all, it is by no means a guarantee that a former top player will move into coaching once all is said and done. In fact, there are many guys who haven’t taken on a single coaching role since retirement.
Just look at guys like Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and several other greats – despite their amazing careers, coaching has just never been on their radar. With that in mind, I haven’t pulled up the idea of Novak Djokovic coaching Nick Kyrgios by accident. In a post-match press conference this week at the Srpska Open, Djokovic claimed that he ‘would love to coach Nick Kyrgios’. The shock statement came while Djokovic was clearly in good spirits after his opening-round victory.
Of course, this prompted an instant revival of the bromance that these guys seemed to share after their clash at Wimbledon last summer. This is all the more amusing considering that these guys seemed to hate one another not too long ago. Then again, as we all know, Nick Kyrgios isn’t always the most predictable guy! He says and does things that nobody would have expected, but this doesn’t seem to have deterred Novak Djokovic.
Let me reveal the facts surrounding Djokovic’s statement right now.
Djokovic and Kyrgios Bromance – The Perfect Coach/Player Combination?
Naturally, the statement from Djokovic has caused a massive stir in the tennis community. But what did he actually say in this post-match press conference and can we read too much into it? Let’s take a closer look.
Kyrgios to Win Five Slams With Djokovic as Coach
While Djokovic entertained the prospect of coaching Kyrgios in this interview, he said something that made everyone take notice. When discussing the idea of taking on a coaching role for Kyrgios, Djokovic stated that the volatile Aussie would ‘win five slams with me’. Coming from a 22-time Grand Slam champion, I’d say that’s quite a compliment. With that said, the two have shared the court in a Grand Slam final at Wimbledon 2022.
So Djokovic has first-hand experience of what Kyrgios can bring to the table in matches of this magnitude. Adding to that, Djokovic has stated several times that he believes Nick Kyrgios is one of the most talented players on tour.
The Coaching Would Be Expensive
After announcing that he’d be open to coaching Nick Kyrgios, that was where the comedy started. While yes, he seemed genuine about the idea of coaching Kyrgios, he also said that it ‘wouldn’t come cheap’. Djokovic and the press had a good chuckle after this comment, but to be honest, he could probably charge whatever he wanted. After all, there’s every chance that he will retire as the official GOAT of the sport based on Grand Slam wins.
And I for one would be pretty excited to watch this partnership unfold if it were to materialize.
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