Over the weekend, Andre Agassi, who joined forces with 12-time grand slam winner Novak Djokovic last May in order to help the Serb get out of a deep slump, announced the two had parted ways.
“With only the best intentions I tried to help Novak. We far too often found ourselves agreeing to disagree,” Agassi said. “I wish him only the best moving forward.”
A pretty bland statement, but in the careful and ever-mindful-of-getting-other-jobs tennis coach speak, that’s practically announcing the two had a fistfight during practice. Agassi hinted just enough at discord to make fans wonder what really went on with the pair in their 10 months together. Then today, Djokovic released a statement of his own, announcing he had split from his other coach Radek Stepanek, oh and also that Agassi guy. Emphasis in the original statement:
After Miami Novak Djokovic and his tennis coach Radek Stepanek decided to end their cooperation.
The private relationship with Stepanek was and will remain great, and Novak has enjoyed working with him and learning from him.
He remains grateful and appreciative of all the support he has received from Radek during the last period.
Novak remains focused and eager to come back stronger and more resilient from long injury break that has affected his confidence and game.
He is continuously and passionately looking for new and different ways to regain winning form.
Djokovic will upon his short holiday with a family start his preparations for the clay season and upcoming tournaments.
The cooperation between Novak and Andre Agassi has also ended.
Savage! In the end, though, the joke’s still on poor Novak who, due to injuries, personal problems, and other mysterious factors, has been largely irrelevant since winning the 2016 French Open. Maybe he won’t bicker so much with his next coach.