Teaming up with Andre Agassi can help Novak Djokovic overcome his title drought

“We are both excited to work together and see where it takes us,” Djokovic said. “We don’t have any long-term commitment. It’s just us trying to get to know each other in Paris a little bit."

Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during the ATP Tennis Open final against Alexander Zverev of Germany, on May 21, 2017 at the Foro Italico in Rome. Tiziana Fabi / AFP
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Sunday's final in Rome certainly did not go the way Novak Djokovic would have liked. Twenty seven unforced errors against rising German star Alexander Zverev cost the Serb what could have been his 31st Masters 1,000 title.

A week away from the start of his French Open defence, though, Djokovic could not have asked for a better tune-up.

Since the first week of the season, when he defeated world No 1 Andy Murray in the Doha finals, Djokovic had not reached a final in any of his next five tournaments – a disappointing return for a man of his stature. In three of those tournaments – the Australian Open, Indians Wells and Madrid – he had gone in as the defending champion.

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That barren run was finally broken in Rome and Djokovic had to battle past Roberto Bautista Agut, Juan Martin del Potro and Dominic Thiem – the last two on the same day – to reach the final.

If Djokovic’s wavering confidence needed a boost for Roland Garros, those wins in Rome should certainly provide that. And if he needed an extra dose, he will now have eight-time grand slam champion Andre Agassi in his corner.

“We are both excited to work together and see where it takes us,” Djokovic was quoted as saying on the ATP World Tour website. “We don’t have any long-term commitment. It’s just us trying to get to know each other in Paris a little bit.

“He will not stay the whole tournament. He’s going to stay only to a certain time, and then we’ll see after that what’s going to happen. We’ll see what the future brings.”

Agassi's reluctance to commit full time to the tour is understandable. In March, the American was asked, in an interview by The Guardian newspaper, about joining the band of super coaches, and he replied: "I would not have any room now with my kids, who are 15 and 13."

Agassi, however, did say it would be “fun and interesting” to work with players like American John Isner, Frenchman Gael Monfils or Australian bad boy Nick Kyrgios because “there’s a gap between what Isner, Monfils and Kyrgios do and what I think they could do”.

Right now, there is a similar gap between what Djokovic is doing and can do on the courts, and Agassi certainly has a challenge of helping the 12-time grand slam champion bridge that gap. He certainly has the resume for the job.

“Andre is someone that I have tremendous respect for as a person and as a player,” Djokovic said. “He has been through everything that I’m going through. On the court, he understands the game amazingly well. I am enjoying every conversation that I have with him.

“But also, on the other hand, he’s someone that nurtures the family values, philanthropy work. He’s a very humble man, is very educated. He’s a person that can contribute to my life on and off the court a lot.”

That contribution off the court might probably be more important for Djokovic at the moment than any on-court advice, for his battles are clearly mental. Last year, at the French Open, Djokovic had scaled his Everest, winning the only grand slam missing from his collection, and the effort seems to have left him drained.

“After Roland Garros and the Olympic Games, and a lot that had happened at that time, I think it had taken a lot out of me,” Djokovic said in Rome. “I didn’t even know ... I wasn’t even aware of the circumstances that I’m going to find myself in.”

In his playing career, Agassi has been through more than a few trials himself – overcoming his hatred of tennis ("I hate tennis, hate it with a dark and secret passion and always have") Agassi wrote in his autobiography, Open) to become one of the sports' most celebrated personalities.

The American’s experience, then, could help Djokovic as he negotiates the choppy waters he finds himself in.