Andre Agassi has acknowledged that Steffi Graf, his wife, pushed him to accept the offer to replace Novak Djokovic as his coach.
The 47-year-old American claimed that after first turning down the Serbian’s invitation to collaborate with the 12-time Grand Slam winner, he eventually agreed to help him out in the next French Open.
Djokovic parted ways with his coaching staff earlier this month in an effort to regain his peak performance.
Additionally, Agassi’s wife Graf, who won 22 Grand Slam singles championships between 1987 and 1999, advised him to give it a shot in Paris when the current French Open winner came calling.
“I initially said ‘no’ when Novak called me about three weeks ago,” the man stated.
“However, my spouse advised me to go—you’ll adore it. All the same, we had long since planned a family vacation to Roland Garros.
On May 21, 2017, after defeating Novak Djokovic (L) of Serbia in the ATP Tennis Open final, Alexander Zverev of Germany (R) poses with the trophy at the Image:
Alexander Zverev defeated Djokovic (left) in the Italian Open final on Sunday. “So, I hope to watch one or two of Novak’s matches and try to bring to him what I can because even a small remark can do a lot,” said Zverev.
“I can tell for sure that he has the potential to improve upon yesterday. He knows how strong he is, so I believe he can only get better.”
Agassi and Djokovic practised at Roland Garros for the first time on Thursday, although Agassi claimed he wasn’t looking for a full-time position.
He continued: “The only agreement we have is for Paris, and given our discussions, it’s not a full-time job for me.”
For those who are on the go, you can follow our Twitter account @SkySportsTennis to participate in the conversation, or you can access our coverage of the French Open from Roland Garros via our website, skysports.com/tennis, or our app for iPad and mobile devices. Can Andre Agassi lead Novak Djokovic to victory at the French Open? Say something…