Q&A WITH BORIS BECKER ON EUROSPORT GERMANY'S VOCAL ATHLETES PODCAST

Boris Becker... on a possible coaching job in the future
I wouldn't rule out the possibility of becoming a coach again. In the current situation, it’s not possible because I'm responsible for the men’s Team Germany. But nothing is eternal. If there are players who interest me, who allow me to coach so and want to be open with me, then that's something I could definitely consider.

The problem is that it is very time-consuming. As a coach of Novak Djokovic, I spent 25 to 30 weeks with him. That includes training camps and smaller tournaments. You have to take part in the preparation tournaments and all the pre-season training in winter and spring. That is very time-consuming. I have a family and I have other professional projects that I need to manage. But I don't want to rule it out completely. Tennis is my great love.

Boris Becker... on his time as coach of Novak Djokovic
When I received the first call [from Djokovic's management], Djokovic had just lost his number one position in the ATP rankings – he was ‘only’ the number two in the world. I have commentated on many games like Wimbledon finals or US Open finals on him as a TV expert and I have always been of a clear opinion. He has taken these reviews to heart.

Then there was a phone call from his manager Edoardo Artaldi, who was also a long- time companion of mine. He asked me if I wanted to become coach of Novak. I visited Djokovic a few weeks later in Monte Carlo and we talked for 48 hours just about tennis. My promise to him was that I had to tell him open and honestly the truth, because everything else doesn't work and I can't embellish anything: 'The reason why you might not be so good anymore is because you felt too good as number one, you didn't improve. The other players like Nadal and Federer have adjusted their game. I don't like your positioning on the court, I don't like your serve at all.’

We had a long conversation. He had already won many Grand Slam titles and was an absolute superstar, but he wasn't satisfied with himself and he seeked for more. You have to give him credit for that. When I see a lot of young players in contrast, who play a semi-final once and then celebrate that success for half a year. That's not comparable with a character like Djokovic - but Federer and Nadal are the same. Djokovic is driven by tennis history and eternal records.

Novak will always be a very close friend of mine. Our cooperation terminated end of 2016 because he wanted to take a break. He had elbow problems and in spring 2017 an operation followed. It has been three very intense, very successful years and at some point even a superstar like Djokovic has to take a little break. And what does the coach do then? There was no stress and we really split up for the better. At the subsequent Grand Slam’s we always met whenever he had a question about a player. My door was always open. A player-coach partnership like that is above all characterized by trust. I can only help a player if he openly addresses his worries and fears. He has to be totally honest and I really appreciate that trust.

Boris Becker... on the current situation in global tennis
I'm concerned about the profession of the ‘tennis player’. Not about the first hundred players in the world, who hopefully have enough money in their accounts and don't need next week's prize money. But the thousand players, who also call themselves tennis pros, they have nothing to work for at the moment. And if this break lasts any longer, they will have to look for another job. They have to feed themselves and pay the rent.

On the other hand, I see this as an opportunity for the three big federations ATP, WTA and ITF. They all face the same situation: there is no tennis. So, you have to think: Can there be so many tournaments in the future? Or should every major tournament be held as a so-called combined event for men and women over ten days? But that means fewer jobs for the thousands who are involved.

What happens to the smaller tournaments like the Future and Challenger tournaments? You need these tournaments too, otherwise a young player can't play his way up and collect points. That's a complicated matter. But the three associations have never been on the same page, maybe it would be a chance to decide now: that's the plan from autumn or from 2021. I'd like that.

Boris Becker... on the possible successors of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic at the Grand Slams
This is the one million dollar question, we have discussed this at every Grand Slam since 2017. Dominic Thiem has already been to a Grand Slam final three times, Alexander Zverev has reached the semi-finals and Tsitsipas has reached the semi-finals, too. But none of them has reached the great success yet. Why? This is a full evening topic.

Of course, because the three great ones [Federer, Nadal and Djokovic] are incredibly strong and have been doing so consistently for almost 15 years. On the other hand, the young players might not be good enough. In my generation, there were 20- and 21-year-olds who won Grand Slam tournaments.

I'd like to see this change happening while the big three are still strong, not when they're old and fragile and have retired from tennis. If the US Open or Roland-Garros still take place this year, I would like to see another final Nadal against Thiem. Maybe then the Austrian will win. I would like to see that.

Boris Becker… on his professional dreams
I hope that I can remain in the tennis business, my favourite sport, for a long time. Either as a coach or as a TV expert. I still enjoy it very much; I really love this sport. I really enjoy dealing with the young players and chatting with them about tennis. I also enjoy discussing tennis with Roger, Rafa and Novak. I hope it will stay that way for a long time.

Boris Becker was a guest on Eurosport Germany's Vocal Athletes podcast.