Djokovic heartbroken over former coach Becker’s jail sentence

World No.1 Novak Djokovic said on Sunday that he was “heartbroken” after his former coach Boris Becker was sent to prison earlier last week in a bankruptcy case in the UK.

The 54-year-old German was jailed for two years and six months by a London court on Friday for hiding hundreds of thousands of pounds of assets after he was declared bankrupt.

“Just heartbroken, I mean, for him. He’s a friend, long-time friend, a coach for three, four years, someone I consider close in my life and has contributed a lot to my success in my career,” Djokovic told reporters at the Madrid Open.

The pair worked together between 2014 and 2016, with Becker helping guide Djokovic to six of his 20 Grand Slam titles.

“I just hope he will go through this period ... and when he comes out he’s able to live his life as, I don’t know if we’ll use the word ‘normal’, because it is definitely life-changing for anybody going to prison,” added the Serbian.

“I just pray for him. I hope things will be well in terms of his health, his mental health, because that’s going to be the most challenging part.”

Djokovic, a three-times winner at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Madrid, is looking for his first title of the season after losing to Andrey Rublev in the final of the Serbia Open last week.

Djokovic said that he was still struggling mentally to get back to his best after missing the Australian Open and a chunk of the early season due to his refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion was unable to defend his Australian Open title in January after being deported from the country, having initially been admitted to the tournament despite not taking the vaccine.

I’m happy that I’m back on track in terms of being able to play in tournaments and having clarity in terms of schedule, where I need to go, where I can go, where I can peak and where I want to peak.

—  Novak Djokovic

The 34-year-old also sat out ATP Masters 1000 events in Miami and Indian Wells.

“The challenge is definitely more on the mental and emotional side,” Djokovic told a news conference on Sunday as he prepares to begin his Madrid Open campaign on Tuesday.

“Of course I have never experienced anything similar to what I experienced early this season and I did not know how that’s going to affect me.

“I still have to deal with it to some extent. It’s not as powerful as it was in the first two, three months of the year. I feel the more I play, the more I’m in this environment, the more comfortable I feel.”

The Serbian’s lack of match practice showed in his first two clay court tournaments of the season.

He was knocked out by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Monte Carlo and was beaten by Andrey Rublev in the final in Belgrade last month.

Djokovic admitted that physically he “just ran out of gas” in his Monte Carlo defeat but was glad that he had the opportunity to play four long matches in Serbia as he steps up his preparation for Roland Garros, where he lifted the trophy last year and in 2016.

“Of course it’s not at the level where I wish it to be. It is a process, and I have to be patient. Hopefully things will progress in the right direction also this week,” he said.

Djokovic said he was happy to have greater clarity about which tournaments he could compete in without a Covid-19 vaccination.

“I’m happy that I’m back on track in terms of being able to play in tournaments and having clarity in terms of schedule, where I need to go, where I can go, where I can peak and where I want to peak,” he said.

“Obviously on clay that’s Roland Garros, and then I can be also in London playing in Wimbledon, which is an important tournament to me.

“I’m happy with the next few months where I have an understanding and clarity where I can play. So hopefully I will be able to get the best out of myself, particularly in Grand Slams.”

Meanwhile, Rafa Nadal said his fitness was “far from perfect” as he prepares to return to action after a debilitating rib injury that has left him racing against time to get back to peak condition for the French Open.

The 35-year-old, who clinched a men’s record 21st Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open earlier this year, suffered a stress fracture in his rib at Indian Wells, where he lost in the final to Taylor Fritz on March 20.

The injury has forced him to miss the clay court events in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

He is now battling to get back to his best before the French Open, which begins on May 22, and where he will bid for a record-extending 14th title.

The Spaniard will make his return at the Madrid Open on Wednesday.

“I’m recovered from the injury but tennis and preparation is another story,” Nadal told a news conference on Sunday.

“Those who have broken their ribs know how much it limits you and for the first few weeks I had difficulty sleeping because of the pain.

“It is an injury that does not need a significant amount of time to heal, but it didn’t allow me to do almost anything. It hurt even doing aerobic work.”

Nadal believes he will struggle to get back to his best this week, but it will be a step towards hitting peak condition for Roland Garros.

“Things are far from perfect, right now. I have to admit that,” Nadal said. “I’m taking these days almost like a preseason, doing double sessions every day.”

Nadal said he had not had time to savour his outstanding comeback win against Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final in January.

“Tennis is not a sport that allows you to look back and enjoy your accomplishments,” Nadal said. “I understand that was a historic moment, one of the biggest emotions that I had in my career, but I just don’t have the time to look back and appreciate it. The last few weeks were all focusing on recovering from my injury.

“If I keep playing today at my age and at the highest level it’s because I learnt that wins and losses are something you leave in the past. You have to always look forward to keep that focus and competitive hunger alive. That’s the way I operate.”

— Reuters