Physical changes prompted Novak Djokovic to make a major coaching change.
Djokovic, who parted company with coach Boris Becker after last year's ATP World Tour Finals then dropped his entire coaching team earlier this spring, said he felt he had to take "a different approach" to his training and tennis.
Watch: Inspiration is What Djokovic Seeks From Agassi
"Last year, I started to feel I had to change something," Djokovic told French sports publication L'Equipe. "My body was changing, too. I did not think days would come when you feel different. Even if I feel fit, young and I take care of my body, I am 30-years-old now.
"I need to take a different approach in terms of energy management. I need to prioritize. I felt like I need to explore new things."
The reigning Roland Garros champion hired 1999 champion Andre Agassi as his new coach on a trial basis.
In Agassi's coaching debut, the Hall of Famer sat next to Novak's brother, Marko, as the world No. 2 dispatched Marcel Granollers, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, to power into the Roland Garros second round today.
"I connected with (Agassi) very quickly," Djokovic told L'Equipe. "I saw that there were similarities in the ways we think. Most of his career, he worked thinking winning on court was the only thing that would satisfy him and make him happy.
"But he was not. He described this very well, saying he did not like tennis, that he often had the feeling if he was being forced to play tennis. Maybe I don't have the exact same feeling, but I can refer to it."
Photo credit: Roland Garros