"Novak Djokovic is the opposite of me" - Andre Agassi reveals what surprised him most about the Serb from their brief coaching partnership

Andre Agassi has noted the stark difference between himself and Novak Djokovic, recalling the time he briefly coached the 24-time Grand Slam champion. According to him, Djokovic only feels tennis on the court and does his analysis off it, a combination that has helped him become the greatest of all time.

Agassi, one of three men to complete a career Golden Slam in singles, forged a successful career, amassing 60 tour-level titles, including eight Grand Slams. The first man to win Major titles across three different surfaces and the last US man to bag the French Open and Australian Open titles.

After his retirement in 2006, the 55-year-old played several exhibition matches and continues to be consistent at the sporting arenas. He also had a brief coaching experience in 2017, when he joined Novak Djokovic as the latter struggled with form and injuries.

Although the partnership lasted only a year, Agassi took a lot away from it. During a recent interview, he shared how surprised he was to see the Serb utilize his intellectual capacity to the fullest off the court, while simply feeling the game and letting it flow on the court. In contrast, Agassi admitted that he was quite different, always analyzing during his matches. He said in an interview with Tennis365:

"He is intense about everything, including relaxing! He takes everything very seriously. Even when he chills out, he is determined to make the most of that time. What surprises me most is his intellectual capacity off the court and how little he thinks on the court. You see him off the court and he thinks through everything, but on the court he tends to feel his way through matches."

He added:

"I analyzed a lot on the tennis court and felt my way through life off the court. He is the exact opposite. The guy is really smart and it shocks you how much he remembers and the details. If he is looking for information, he reads, studies and takes so much in. It has been fun getting to know him and working out what makes him tick and to help him on his objectives."

Agassi and Djokovic parted ways in 2018, and the former shared that they agreed on a lot of things but disagreed on many as well.

Andre Agassi once explained how Novak Djokovic's gameplay swallows opponents on the court

Andre Agassi and Djokovic at the 2017 French Open Tennis Tournament. Roland Garros. Paris. France. - (Source: Getty)

Novak Djokovic, one of the most decorated tennis players of all time, has enjoyed an exemplary tennis career. With 72 big titles and 100 ATP Tour-level singles titles to his name, Djokovic continues to rack up wins at 38.

His partnership with Andre Agassi lasted less than a year, but the two share mutual admiration. On the Served podcast, the latter once talked about how the Serb's offensive and defensive gameplays are greater than any player of all time. He defeats his opponents so heavily that Agassi joked that he could 'beat' their mothers too.

"He’s like an amoeba that just swallows you and drags you under. He beats you defensively. He beats you offensively. It’s like he wants to beat your mom, too. Like, take it easy, it’s okay, you’re going to get through this. The guy is world-class. How many different ways can you say it?” (1:24:48)

The 38-year-old was one Olympic gold away from achieving a Career Golden Slam, and he did it after winning that at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Edited by Tushar Bahl