Novak Djokovic's First Test With Boris Becker As Coach Was A Colossal Failure
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Novak Djokovic made a major change to his career in December and his first test turned out to be a huge failure as he was knocked out of the Australian Open in the quarterfinals, losing 9-7 in the fifth set to Stanislas Wawrinka.
Djokovic, who entered this tournament as the three-time defending champion, was playing in his first major tournament since hiring six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker to be his coach in December.
The loss was the first time Djokovic failed to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam since 2010, a stretch of 14 tournaments that included five wins and five runner-ups.
Djokovic told 360Sport.com in December that he specifically hired Becker to help him win more Grand Slam tournaments and to give him "that mental edge."
Djokovic has already had a hugely successful career with six Grand Slam titles and noted that there would only be minor tweaks to his game under Becker. But unfortunately for Djokovic, his career will always be compared to those of his contemporaries, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who have won 30 Grand Slam titles combined.
Hiring Becker was a calculated move as Djokovic tries to play catch-up. But so far, he has taken a big step back instead of any steps forward.
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