The 2016 season has ended with a succession of player-coach departures on both the WTA and ATP tours. The most recent is the pairing of Novak Djokovic and Boris Becker. This relationship spanned 3-years producing six Grand Slam titles, the rare feat of holding all four titles simultaneously and a career Grand Slam.

While Becker’s impact on Grand Slam results is evident, the coach who established the foundation of Novak’s game is, Jelena Gencic. Gencic discovered 6-year old Novak at a camp recognizing raw talent and champion potential. They began a journey of dreams in 1993 during the time of the Bosnian War where tennis provided stability and a positive focus. Jelena had studied art history at the University of Belgrade.

This coach-pupil relationship lasted until 1999 but the bond of the formative years remains. Gencic not only developed the game perhaps more profoundly the mind and heart of Djokovic. Novak credits her with instilling the belief that he could be No. 1, revealing to Christopher Clarey of the New York Times, “she kept telling me I had the talent to be No. 1 and I believed her.”

After his 2011 Wimbledon victory over Nadal, Novak brought the trophy home to visit Gencic. This reunion brought full circle the vision that Gencic had set with him to one day be Wimbledon champion. With no detail forgotten, they had even practiced the trophy ceremony.

Forever a source of inspiration, Gencic encouraged Novak to pursue his outstanding accomplishment, the French Open. Gencic spoke to Novak of wanting to have a photo with the full array of his Grand Slam trophies. That moment was sadly never realized. Novak would instead grieve her loss during the 2013 French Open.

Following her death, Novak spoke these words to the press. “She's one of the most incredible people I ever knew…Jelena was my first coach, like my second mother. We were very close throughout my whole life and she taught me a lot of things that are part of me, part of my character today. I have nicest memories of her.” A year later, he dedicated his 2014 Wimbledon title to Jelena.

During press at the 2016 Miami Open, Novak credited his success at playing high risk tennis to Gencic stating “I did go through the initial stage of my tennis career with my former tennis coach, Jelena Gencic, and we went through this I think period of psychology and strategy planning and trying to work on that angle a lot, especially forehand, backhand short-cross, and she was insisting a lot on me to play those kind of shots. From the very early stages of my career, I worked on that variety and the game.”

He remarked that “she had over 1000 drills. I mean, it's incredible. I never seen any coach have that many well-thought drills that you can work on from the baseline, midcourt, you know.”

Novak recalled her comparisons to high-profile pupil Monica Seles. He laughed when reminiscing how Gencic would push him, “she was always in my ear, saying Monica did this, Monica did that, she went to sleep that time, she played this shot. So Monica was definitely one of my idols growing up because I had the privilege to work with a coach who had worked with her.”

While the tennis community speculates about coaching options, there are questions about his current state of motivation. Novak has acknowledged that his level fell off after the Roland Garros win. Perhaps this state was in part due to the victory being a final achievement in the list of dreams formed with Gencic. That win a final tribute to fulfill a promise to the women who means so much and remains at the heart of his game.

While the incumbent coach will have big shoes to fill, there is already an enduring partner in his memory.