What 12 months can do May 19, 2017

It has nothing to do with Winx being inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, not even AFLW star Erin Phillips retiring from the WNBA. It's about the possibility of Novak Djokovic working with Andre Agassi.

Djokovic was nearly untouchable after completing a non-calendar grand slam in Roland Garros one year ago. And then his free fall unraveled in front of his stunned fans. Boris Becker, whom he had a fruitful relationship for three years, cited the Serb's lack of commitment to work harder. It was followed with what the winner of 12 major titles would call a shock therapy: he let go of Marian Vajda, his long-time coach, his trainor, and physio. Agassi also went through the same trajectory that Djokovic did, but the American's was more dramatic. (And he had a tell-all book to prove it.) His resurgence coincided with Pete Sampras's gradual burnout. Djokovic, who would begin his defense of his title in Paris on May 29, wouldn't reveal the identity of the new coach. As a matter of fact, Sampras' name was included in the mix. There's one issue, though.

Apart from exhibitions, Agassi has been out of the (tennis) spotlight for many years. He could have declined to compete in the Legends Under 45 Doubles and Legends Over 45 Doubles (French Open), Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles and Senior Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles (Wimbledon), and Men's Champions Invitational (US Open). He is busy managing his tennis center in Las Vegas. What can change his mind? Tennis observers are intrigued by this question. Djokovic will confirm everyone's suspicion after the French Open.

On the other hand, the ever-candid Becker revealed that he would find himself coaching another player in the ATP Tour very soon. Don't expect Alexander Zverev, who admitted that he couldn't afford the six-time Grand Slam champion for now. Former Top 10 player Sébastien Grosjean confirmed that he would be coaching Nick Kyrgios on a part-time basis. The Frenchman coached fellow French player Richard Gasquet, whom the latter credited with helping him achieve the best results in his career. (Gasquet was a Top 10 player for three seasons.) Grosjean, currently based in Florida, could give Kyrgios the extra push needed to enable him to break the Top 10, but what happens next would be another thing. It's all about consistency.

This brings us to Roger Federer's announcement on his Facebook page. Many anticipated his decision to skip the French Open for the second straight year, which Robin Soderling called a wise move on Federer's part. It would give him more time to prepare for the grass-court season, probably increasing his chances of winning an eighth Wimbledon title.

Was he scared of playing Rafael Nadal in Roland Garros? No. (Federer won their last three match-ups.) Could it be a case of gentlemen's agreement? It might be. After winning a record fifth Mutua Madrid Open title last Sunday, only a few would bet against Nadal winning his tenth French Open title. Andy Murray's recent form may suggest that he won't make it to his second straight finals while Djokovic won't recapture his winning form in Paris. It would be hard to tell if Stan Wawrinka can raise the Coupe des Mousquetaire for the second time. If Dominic Thiem had learned anything from his loss to Nadal in Madrid, then the young Austrian ace may be his biggest challenge in the men's draw. Fans don't need to hold their breath for too long.

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