PUNE: Borna Bikic is a living testimony to the golden adage that you don't have to be a top athlete to be a successful coach.
The 48-year-old from Croatia, currently working with Indian men's player Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha, had guided former players Jelena Dokic and Agnieszka Radwanska to a successful career on the women's tour.
Dokic, who represented erstwhile Yugoslavia and Australia, was World No. 4 in 2002 and won six WTA titles. Poland's Radwanska reached a career-high No. 2 in world ranking in 2012 and won 20 titles. In Grand Slams, she reached the final of 2013 Wimbledon and the Australian Open semifinals twice.
But Bikic, 48, seldom played professional tennis.
"I never even wanted to be a player. I always wanted to be a coach. It was my dream job. And I am happy I got it," the soft-spoken Bikic, who calls former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic his good friend, smiled.
In his junior days, Bikic was an accomplished gymnast, among the top performers in his country and played tennis as a hobby.
"And then I couldn't do gymnastics anymore due to some health issues. I had to start an outdoor sport and tennis was already there," he explained.
"So, being a tennis player, it was not my dream. Even if I can choose to do it again, I would do the same, being a coach."
Bikic had a very satisfying week as a coach when Poonacha reached the singles quarterfinals as a wildcard at the $130,000 ATP Challenger 100 men's event in Pune last week.
It is significant because the 28-year-old Poonacha, armed with an explosive serve and a big forehand, had decided to prioritise doubles over singles play.
"He is getting way much better. Unfortunately, this (comes) in this age of Niki. We should (have been) here earlier, right? But it is what it is. So we have to get the best out of it," said Bikic, who has been coaching the Neyveli-born Telangana player for the past two years.
Poonacha was earlier attached to Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy in Bengaluru before starting to work with Bikic.
The Croatian said that when he began to work with the Indian, he felt the key to the latter's success was to bring a synergy to his game, combine his various strengths and make them work together.
"Niki was very emotional before and he was staying with the mistakes. Now, he just stays in the moment, and plays one point at a time," he said.
"When I started to work with him, he was a big player with a lot of good things, but not in order, not being connected in one unit. So it's (sic) been some work put by me and my coaches, partners.
"We did a lot of work with him on that kind of stuff. And apart from technical and physical, we did all the mental things, talking to him how to deal with the things.
"Niki is now way much more mature than before. Now he's the guy who can take care of the things. So I am just sitting on the side and enjoying watching him play and dealing with things."
Poonacha stunned top seed and toast of the nation, Sumit Nagal, in the second round and had match points in the quarterfinal against Australian Dane Sweeny. It was clear that lack of singles matches had a bearing on his game in those moments.
Bikic said he was not entirely surprised by Poonacha's win over Nagal or his overall performance during the week.
"Look, I always knew Niki can play, right? It was just a matter of time that he connected things," he said.
"So having watched him in practice, and some matches he had his moments, (it) seems like he's just really there (in the moment).
"I'm not surprised that he can play like this. Actually, I'm really very proud of him, how he's doing. So, just let's hope everything will be fine. And he can keep pushing forward."
The unexpected run in Pune may not have much impact on Poonacha's singles fortunes as his ranking is still outside 700, whereas his doubles ranking is way up at a career-high 138.
But the talent that was on display is too good to be frittered away.
"Definitely, I would like him to play more singles, right? But that's a matter of team discussion, and the right scheduling," Bikic said.
"And he has his partner in doubles (Rithvik Choudary), so I have to sit with the guys and make a proper planning, according to doubles and singles.
"But Niki has much more to give in singles too. So I would be very, very happy if we can get some singles tournaments this year as well."
Speaking in general, with no malice, Bikic said Indian players must learn "to suffer" if they wished to succeed in tennis.
"Yelena Dokic and Agnieszka Radwanska ... (they were) very, very high end players, which (sic) were very committed and dedicated, and which (sic) knew how to suffer," he said.
"I really love to work with the Indian players. (But) They are not easy, they are not easy at all," he said with a grin.
"They can’t take the suffering that much as the others and they don't understand the aspect of taking suffering in order to make success.
"So that's one thing that I'm trying to change with them and it doesn't come very, very easy. But other than that, they're just wonderful kids.
"And there is plenty of talent in India, which is really sad that is not developed a lot in the right way. So, I hope we will change this in the near future."
