Novak Djokovic to Be Coached by Andre Agassi at 2017 French Open

Novak Djokovic confirmed Sunday that eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi will be part of his coaching staff for the 2017 French Open.

The Guardian passed along comments Djokovic made about the decision following a loss to Alexander Zverev in the Italian Open championship match. The former world No. 1 noted there's no long-term agreement currently in place between the sides.

"It's just us trying to get to know each other a little bit," he said. "He will not stay the whole tournament."

Djokovic was downright dominant during a stretch from the 2014 Wimbledon Championships through the 2016 French Open. He won six of the 10 major tournaments contested during that span and emerged as the premier force among the "Big Four" on the ATP Tour.

While he did reach the 2016 U.S. Open final, he was eliminated in the third round at Wimbledon last year and in the second round of this season's Australian Open. The latter result was a shock since he'd captured five of the previous six Aussie Open titles.

Moreover, Djokovic continues to hold just a single 2017 championship on his resume after Sunday's loss to Zverev. He previously parted ways with longtime coach Marian Vajda in early May.

Simon Briggs of the Telegraph provided a statement from the 29-year-old Serbian superstar about what he described as "shock therapy" for himself.

"I feel like this is a new chapter in my life," Djokovic said. "My career was always on the upward path and this time I'm experiencing how it is when the path takes you in a different direction. I want to find a way to come back to the top stronger and more resilient."

In January, Tom Allnutt of the Independent noted Agassi felt there was an opportunity for Andy Murray to pull away from the pack in 2017 similar to the way Djokovic did in recent years. But he left the door open for a bounce-back campaign from the 12-time major winner.

"But you can't write off Novak this soon," Agassi said. "There's been a turn of events that has happened seemingly overnight. Things can change quickly but if they change quickly, they can change again."

This is the first time the 47-year-old American will take on a high-profile coaching role.

The 2017 French Open is scheduled to begin next Sunday, May 28, in Paris.