Ultimately, Boris decided to join this elite circle of former champions. Eyes wide open; Boris accepted the job with the clear understanding that he was becoming part of Novak’s “Team.” To prove his willingness to participate as a member of the team, he relied heavily upon the advice of Marian Vadja. Marian has been Novak’s coach for several years, but decided to take a step back from the primary coaching responsibilities to spend more time with his wife and children. Marian knew Novak’s game better than anyone and provided valuable advice and recommendations. Boris convinced him to remain on the team and provide his sage advice, if only during the Grand Slam events.
Although not every world-class tennis player can become a great coach, they possess experiences that the average individual can never imagine. Entering a stadium filled with 20,000 screaming spectators, each fan with elevated expectations for the players, is not for the feeble hearted. Boris, having had this experience several times, is well equipped to help Novak control his anxiety and produce his best tennis under these stressful circumstances. Understanding your opponents’ strengths and weaknesses—and exploiting those weaknesses is another vital quality in winning. It’s not the big things, like the guy’s backhand stinks; nobody’s backhand stinks at this level of the game. It’s the nuances. It’s the little, predictable things that an opponent does that produce errors. These are the things that Boris will notice, and point out to Novak; things most club players would never see.
Boris seems to have found that coaching at the world-class level provides exhilaration reminiscent of his playing at that level. In a very real way, he has been reborn as a coach with an uncanny wealth of knowledge and understanding of the game. The courts, the locker rooms, and the roar of the crowd—all seem eerily familiar. He’s been here before. The first time he was a teenager—anxious, nervous, full of questions. Now he’s a mature adult—confident, sure of himself (if not a bit cocky) and certain that he can keep his young champion on top of this mountain. I was with him and know Boris. I’ve worked with and coached him. I believe that his experience, thoughtfulness and determination will make him one of the great coaches in our game.
P.S. Boris gave me one of the greatest compliments of my career. He acknowledged that I saw the little things. That I offered suggestions about small adjustments and simply walked away. The champion in him took care of the rest. Good Luck, Boris. You’re a champion—on the court and in the players’ box!