Djokovic hires Becker as head coach

Novak Djokovic. AP FILE PHOTO

BELGRADE — Novak Djokovic has hired German tennis legend Boris Becker as his head coach ahead of the Australian open in January, the Serbian player announced on his website Wednesday.

“I am really excited to have the opportunity to work with Boris,” Djokovic said.

“He is a true legend, someone who has great tennis knowledge and his experience will help me win new trophies from the grand slams and other tournaments,” the world number two said.

Six-time Grand Slam champion, 46-year old Becker said he was “proud Novak invited me to become his head coach.”

“I will do my best to help him reach his goals, and I am sure we can achieve great things together,” he said.

Becker will join Djokovic’s coaches Marian Vajda, Miljan Amanovic and Gebhard Phil-Gritsch, the website said.

Vajda, who has worked with Djokovic for almost eight years, welcomed Becker into the team, saying it was a “good solution” to choose the German player.

“I realized that Novak needed a new head coach in order for him to continue improving certain parts of his game,” Vajda said.

Becker will link up with Djokovic and his team for the year’s first Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open, which starts in Melbourne on January 13.

“Boris brings a new and fresh approach, and together with Vajda he will make a winning combination,” 26-year old Djokovic said.

He said his goal for 2014 “is to play my best tennis and to get in shape for the Grand Slams and Masters.”

“These tournaments have the most weight in our sport, and I want to prove my worth at them.

The team is now strengthened and we hope for maximum results,” he said.

Djokovic won the Australian Open in January for the third year in a row, but he was defeated in the semi-finals of the French Open by Rafael Nadal and lost in the finals of Wimbledon and the US Open to Andy Murray and Nadal.

The Spaniard also took back the world number one spot from the Serb before Djokovic produced a superb finish to the year winning the World Tour Championship in London.

Becker won 64 ATP titles in his career, including six Grand Slam singles titles.

The move to hire a tennis legend like Becker mirrors Murray’s successful linkup with Ivan Lendl, which resulted in the Scot winning the 2012 US Open and this year’s Wimbledon.