"I had a dream that Boris Becker would be Shelton’s coach and he would win the next Grand Slam" - Becker reacts to possibility of coaching Shelton

Boris Becker has once again come to the aid of Jannik Sinner ahead of the Davis Cup Finals in Italy, supporting his decision not to compete in Bologna. He also discussed a weird dream Andrea Petkovic had which envisioned him being Ben Shelton's coach.

While many people were split about the Italian's decision not to compete for his country, Becker was firmly on the side of the four-time Grand Slam champion. "That’s the problem when you win so much — everyone gets used to it. They think they own you, that they can decide for you," he said on the Becker Petkovic podcast. "I said in an interview with Corriere della Sera that Jannik Sinner belongs to Jannik Sinner, not to Italy. What he has done for the country the last two years is extraordinary, but not normal. He needed a break. If he wins Melbourne again, nobody will complain. Give the boy space — he has a long career ahead and can’t play every event in Italy."

"Because of that three-month suspension earlier in the season, he had to catch up from behind," Petkovic said, sharing some context on the situation. "Since Beijing he played everything: Shanghai, the Six Kings Slam, all the indoor tournaments. He wanted to get to No. 1, but didn’t quite make it."

She went on to label Sinner as the 'mentally strongest player' in the sport after all the hardship he had been through. "People forget: He wasn’t allowed to play Doha, the Sunshine Double, Monte Carlo, Madrid… Alcaraz earned huge points there," Petkovic said. "Despite missing so much, Sinner almost ended the year No. 1 — that’s sensational. His team supported him during the ban: he wasn’t allowed to train at official clubs, only privately, and not with active players. Incredibly difficult conditions. Coming back with a final in Rome was unbelievable. For me, he’s the mentally strongest player on the whole tour."

When talking about Ben Shelton's performance at the ATP Finals, Petkovic described a very bizarre dream she had. "Sorry to interrupt, but I texted you a few weeks ago. I had a dream that Boris Becker would be Shelton’s coach and he would win the next Grand Slam. He’d be the first to break the Alcaraz/Sinner dominance. I wrote to you that if that actually happens, I want a new job as a witch or fortune teller," she stated.

Becker gave a serious answer: "I think it’s a very good dream. But you’d have to be a bit American, and you have to be on site during training phases and accompany players at tournaments," he admitted. "If I were 10 years younger, and if I didn’t have my wife and child together… The player totally attracts me. The way he plays, I understand it — the serve, the aggression. I’m convinced I could help him.

"I like the whole family. By the way, his mother is Mrs. Whitsken. Her brother, Todd Witsken, was also an excellent world-class player in my time. So the tennis genes are there. I admire Shelton, and I am a big supporter of his game. But the boy is No. 5 in the world, and there is still so much room for improvement. It’s unbelievable."

Becker continued to praise Shelton. "He’s mentally very strong. I never have the impression he’s afraid of winning or that he respects an opponent too much. His father told me they’re still discussing things internally — Ben wants to convince him he can also play well from the baseline. His father says, 'You have the best serve — go to the net more.' You can see in matches that he plays too much from the baseline and too little at the net."

Becker's praise of the American prolonged when asked who are in the prime position to challenge the world number one and two. He also added a duo of Russians in the mix. "Ben Shelton. Without a doubt. And then maybe Medvedev — he always finds a way to stay relevant. Rublev is always dangerous indoors. But the one with the biggest upside is Shelton," Becker stated. "If he improves tactically, he will win a major and beat both Sinner and Alcaraz on the way."

"For me it’s also Shelton," Petkovic said, agreeing with her co-host. "And then Djokovic — we can never ignore him. Even when he has a down year, he’s still in the mix. And if he spends the winter healthy and motivated, he will come back with a vengeance."

While it has been a season of ups and downs for Novak Djokovic, Becker is confident that the 24-time Grand Slam champion will be up and running if he can get on top of his fitness issues coming with the fact that he is now 38-years-old.

"He’s human. That’s the headline. He’s 37 and still winning majors, but he’s human. He had physical problems this year, and mentally I think he was drained after the 2023 season, which was remarkable. Next year? If he stays healthy — he will win again. His level is still there. He just needs more rest and a better schedule."

The pair also touched on the schedules. The six-time Grand Slam champion was adamant that the calendar was way too long. "The calendar is too long. And for the top players, it’s impossible to be at 100 percent in every part of the season," he said. "You have to choose. That’s why some of them skip certain tournaments. But the tour keeps adding new events, and that’s the problem." He then touched on the implications it would have. "Players like Sinner, Alcaraz, even Djokovic — they cannot play everything. They’re humans. The risk of injury increases when you push too hard."

Petkovic also spoke on the injuries cropping up. "This year we saw so many injuries. Sinner, Alcaraz, Rune, Tsitsipas — even players with great fitness struggled," she pointed out. "The surface changes, the travel, the obligations… it's too much. At some point the ATP and the tournaments need to rethink the structure. You can’t extend the season forever and expect players to stay healthy."