Novak Djokovic vs prime Andre Agassi at Australian Open: American's former coach predicts who will win in hypothetical match-up
Novak Djokovic and Andre Agassi are two of the most celebrated tennis players in history. A clash between the two titans at the Australian Open would be an interesting sight for all tennis fans considering that both have had the most success in their careers at the Melbourne Major.
Agassi has won the Australian Open four times — 1995, 2000, 2001 and 2003 — while Djokovic has dominated the Asia-Pacific Major by winning it a record 10 times. The Serbian boasts a solid 91% win percentage at Melbourne Park, while Agassi's is 90.57%.
In the latest episode of Holding Court with Patrick McEnroe, tennis analyst and Agassi's former coach Brad Gilbert discussed who would win at the Melbourne Major in a hypothetical match-up between the tennis greats.
Gilbert discussed the different conditions under which the players would win as he believes they will play a major role in determining the outcome.
"If you make it a 105 degrees and windy, Andre is right there, he's gonna win at least half the matches. You play the little slower conditions at night now. Prediction? That would be painful. I love Andre you know that but there's not a lot of wins that would happen on the ledger, slow conditions at night vs Novak. As much as I love, Andre there's no wins coming," Gilbert said.
"But if it's hot, it's windy and it's the old rebound ace, Andre is going to win his share of matches then. You know me, always thinking about the variables," he added.
When it came down to ball hitting, however, Gilbert comfortably put Agassi over Djokovic.
"God bless Novak, but there is not a person ever that hits the ball... Andre didn't misshit the ball, he hit flush, his swings were really tight. Tthe way he could just produce huge power with a small swing. We're talking about easy power, his was kind of physical power. I take his ball striking over any body ever." he said
In summation, Gilbert picked Andre Agassi to defeat Djokovic Down Under — but only under the right court and weather conditions.
"But to play against Novak, he [Agassi] does need the perfect scenario," he concluded.
Novak Djokovic set to take part in 2023 Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships
Following his 2023 Australian Open triumph, Novak Djokovic will next be seen playing at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
The World No. 1 has lifted the ATP 500 trophy in Dubai five times to date, with his last coming in 2020 when he took down Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.
This year's edition of the tournament will see the remainder of the Big 4 in action in Dubai. Rafael Nadal, currently ranked World No. 6, has also confirmed his participation while British star Andy Murray has been handed a wildcard.
The men's section of the tournament will be played from February 27 to March 4 whereas the women will play from February 19 to 25.