"We'll see how this relationship is going to unfold on the court, off the court and we'll take it from there"
Tuesday 23 May 2017 21:23, UK
Novak Djokovic says having tennis legend Andre Agassi as his coach during the French Open "is a dream come true".
The defending French Open champion announced on Sunday that he would have eight-time Grand Slam champion Agassi in his corner in Paris, after parting ways with his coaching team earlier this month.
Djokovic ended a three-year partnership with Boris Becker late last year when he lost his world No 1 status to Andy Murray.
He has struggled to rediscover his best form since winning last year's title at Roland Garros to complete a career Grand Slam and this season has seen a run of surprise losses.
But after Agassi agreed to assist the 12-time major winner, Djokovic says he is excited to be working alongside the American great.
"Having Andre Agassi as a coach is a dream come true, honestly. He's someone that I was looking up to when I was younger," said the 30-year-old.
"We have similar styles of game, very similar. He has been considered to be one of the greatest returners of all time and I was relying on return in my game throughout my career a lot. So there are a lot of similarities.
"I guess, experiencing different conditions in his life and facing a lot of challenges and still managing to come out on top and still showing his resilience and strength, that is something I can relate to a lot.
"He's been through everything I have been through right now, not just right now but throughout my career. He understands the role of being one of the top players. He understands how it is to win all the tournaments in the world, because he has won them all."
Djokovic revealed that the pair spoke over the phone when the decision was made for Agassi to "give it a try in Paris".
"It's an amazing adventure for both of us," said defending French Open champion, Djokovic. "He's going to come, he's not going to be there for the entire tournament, but he's going to be there for a certain time and we'll see how this relationship is going to unfold on the court, off the court and we'll take it from there.
"I love this sport with all my heart, I truly do. I still have a tremendous amount of passion and motivation to do well. As long as I have that flare inside of me, I'll keep going and hopefully make more foot prints."
For those on the move, we will have the French Open from Roland Garros covered via our website skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsTennis to join in the conversation. Can Agassi inspire Djokovic to become world No 1 again? Have your say...
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