Andy Roddick has jokingly claimed that his cat could be a fine fit to coach Novak Djokovic as he addressed that whether the 24-time Grand Slam champion needs to find a replacement for Goran Ivanisevic.
The former World No. 1 doubted whether anyone could tell Djokovic something he does not already know about tennis craft but thinks getting a new hiring depends on how much the Serbian “values that feedback cycle.”
Djokovic at the end of March announced parting ways with Ivanisevic after a successful partnership that spanned around 5 years. Talking at a recent press conference in Belgrade, the World No. 1 hinted that he may not hire another coach to fill the space of former Balkan assistant who won the 2001 Wimbledon title.
“I still don’t have a clear idea who a new coach would be, or whether there will be one at all,” said Djokovic.
“I’ve had coaches since I was a kid, now I am trying to feel by myself what I need, what I feel most comfortable with. You will be informed in case someone joins the team.”
The 36-year-old is set to play at the Monte Carlo Masters which kicks off on Sunday. Djokovic skipped the Miami Open after suffering an upset defeat in the R3 of Miami Open against emergian Italian Luca Nadri. Ahead of the tournament, the hardcourt maestro has apparently joined forces with the former doubles World No. 1 Nenad Zimonjic.
Roddick has expressed his surprise that Djokovic’s split with the Croat while commenting on Djokovic’s suggestion of remaining coach-less.
“Novak’s decision to split with coach Goran Ivanisevic was surprising. They’ve had an incredible run and you don’t split easily with someone with whom you’ve won 12 Slams,” the 2003 US Open champion told Betway.
“Breaking up in April is not a plan that would have been put forward at the beginning of the year, so it will be interesting to see what he does.
“He’s mentioned maybe going along without a coach, so I guess we’ll see. I don’t know what someone could tell him that he doesn’t already know. It’s just a question of how much he values that feedback cycle along the way.
“There’s certainly some uncertainty there, but if anyone can deal with those ebbs and flows then it’s Novak. My cat could probably coach him and it would be fine.”
The American also shared his thoughts on the development on Tennis Channel and suggested the 6-time Major champion Boris Becker could reoccupy Djokovic’s camp for the last dance.
“There had to be something to set this in motion mid-season. Djokovic has kind of turned over his entire team – from his management, now Ivanisevic,” the 32-time ATP titlist said.
“I’ll be curious to see who he goes to next. It seems like he kind of always ends up back with [Marian] Vajda when something like this happens. That’s happened a couple of times.
“But the one thing is, Novak can only take opinions from a certain amount of people on earth. That’s why he went with [Boris] Becker, that’s why he goes with Goran. People who know those situations. I’ll be very curious to see what his next steps are.
“You’re on a shortish timeline going into Roland Garros, so my instinct is that he goes back into something that is known, that is familiar.
“I’d be surprised if six, eight weeks out from Roland Garros he just starts an entirely new relationship. This is pure speculation, I know nothing, but it wouldn’t shock me to see Becker in the mix of that conversation.”