Agassi on trial with Djokovic in Paris

It began the way many of these things begin.

Someone gets a tip. They break the news that Novak Djokovic has been talking to Andre Agassi about a potential coaching alliance.

Fans of the player poo-poo the idea as an invention of the media.

And in the end, it turns out it wasn’t a figment of someone’s imagination.

After losing the Rome final Sunday to the quickly-rising Alexander Zverev, Djokovic announced that the Hall of Fame American would be with him in Paris on a coaching trial.

Djokovic also is expected to announce a new sponsorship deal with the French tennis manufacturer Lacoste on Monday. So in 24 hours, his tennis landscape will change on many levels.

“I spoke to Andre the last couple weeks on the phone, and we decided to get together in Paris. So he’s going to be there. We’ll see what the future brings. We are both excited to work together and see where it takes us,” Djokovic said in Rome. “We don’t have any long-term commitment. It’s just us trying to get to know each other in Paris a little bit.”

A part-time gig – at best

Agassi has made no secret that he has little interest in going on the road full time as a coach. Like many players who had long playing careers, the road holds neither mystery nor allure at this point in his life.

He’s a busy philanthropist, and his kids are growing up quickly.

That Agassi has no “official” coaching experience matters very little in this particular case. As with other “super-coach” types before him – Stefan Edberg, Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe and in Djokovic’s case Boris Becker – it’s more a matter of inspiration.

Djokovic won’t suddenly hug the baseline and take the ball on the rise as Agassi did, merely by osmosis. Just as Milos Raonic and Roger Federer didn’t suddenly start coming to the net for the first time ever when McEnroe and Edberg came on the scene.

But the 47-year-old knows a whole lot about how to maximize the latter stages of his career. Despite starting at a very young age, he kept the fire going as a tennis player well into his 30s.

“He will not stay the whole tournament. He’s gonna stay only to a certain time, and then we’ll see after that what’s gonna happen. Obviously, Andre is someone that I have tremendous respect for as a person and as a player. He has been through everything that I’m going through. You know, on the court he understands the game amazingly well. I am enjoying every conversation that I have with him,” Djokovic said. “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 in just — you know, he’s a person that can contribute to my life on and off the court a lot. I’m very excited to see what is ahead of us.”

Tennis IQ off the charts

Agassi’s limited appearances as a television commentator give a good indication of exactly how much tennis intelligence he has to share. Five minutes of Agassi on the analysis offers more than a whole match’s worth from some of the very well-paid commentators out there.

As a side issue, it will add a little stardust to a French Open that will be missing some with the absences of Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova.

We can only hope he’ll bring his wife, too.