After being fierce rivals for many years, the British star announced his retirement and shortly after transitioned into coaching the Serbian champion. The partnership lasted only six months, defined by intense effort but a surprising lack of silverware, despite the star power involved.

Murray admitted he was disappointed that they did not achieve their initial goals, but he also confessed that he was glad to have had the experience of working alongside one of the greatest players in history.

“I look back on it and I’m glad that I did it,” Murray told The Tennis Podcast. “It’s an amazing experience that I’ve had. It didn’t last long but I put everything into it. I was disappointed. Probably didn’t get the results I would have liked for him”.

“It was a good opportunity because I felt I wanted to coach at some stage and if I didn’t take it I might look back and think it would have been really interesting, I could have learned a lot, or potentially regretted it,” he continued.

The partnership’s end

Murray began working with Djokovic at the 2025 Australian Open, where the Serbian displayed incredible form, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. It appeared to be a golden opportunity for Djokovic to claim his 25th Grand Slam title.

However, after suffering an injury during the match against the Spaniard, Djokovic was forced to retire during the semifinal duel against Alexander Zverev, having lost the first set 7-6.

“It was going well initially and it was unfortunate what happened in Australia with the injury, but I watched him play ridiculous tennis in that tournament,” Murray explained.

“After the injury it was certainly a difficult few months for him but also I think for the team and all of us. I learned a lot about what coaching is. I was fully invested, tried my hardest to help, and made some good relationships along the way with his team,” he added.

The former British player had initially planned to work with Novak through Roland Garros, but after suffering early-round losses in Monte Carlo and Madrid Masters, the partnership ended prematurely without fanfare.

Born on November 21, 1985, in Johannesburg, Odesnik moved to the U.S. during his youth and pursued a professional career beginning in 2004. By 2006, he had captured his first Futures titles and started appearing in higher-level events. A year later, he earned one of the biggest wins of his career by defeating Ivan Ljubicic at the Canadian Masters 1000 before falling in the second round.

Despite that breakthrough, Odesnik spent much of his career on the Challenger circuit. In 2010, he began working with former Argentine pro Guillermo Cañas, who had just retired from the tour. But his career trajectory soon became defined not by achievements, but by two doping violations and a historic suspension that remains in place — effectively ending his professional career.

First doping case in 2010

Between 2007 and 2010, Wayne Odesnik put together modest results on the ATP Tour. He reached a career-high ranking of No. 77, played in the Houston final, and made his deepest Grand Slam run at Roland Garros in 2008, advancing to the third round.

But in 2010, Odesnik made headlines for reasons off the court. He pleaded guilty to attempting to bring human growth hormone into Australia, though he continued to deny ever using the substance. The ATP initially handed him a two-year suspension, which was later reduced to one year.

Repeat offense and historic suspension

Odesnik returned to the tour in 2011 but failed to deliver significant results in the following seasons. His career effectively ended in 2015, when he was handed a 15-year suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs a second time.

According to the ITF, Odesnik tested positive on multiple occasions between December 2014 and January 2015, with steroids among the substances detected. The suspension barred him from competition until January 30, 2030. By the time the ban expires, Odesnik will be 45 years old.

Andy Murray’s harsh criticism

The lengthy ban sparked a strong reaction from former World No.1 Andy Murray, who spoke after reaching the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in 2015.

“Goodbye Wayne, good riddance. It’s good for tennis to get him off the tour. We don’t want those things in our sport. I can’t understand how he could do it again. What’s sad is hearing ‘Oh, I’ve learned from my mistakes, blah, blah, blah.’ Clearly he was taking something and gaining an advantage. Cheaters make everyone else look bad,” Murray bluntly said.

He added: “At least in recent years, there’s been progress with stricter anti-doping tests. Of course it’s no fun to be woken up at six in the morning for a test, but if it gets people that are cheating out of the sport when they are doing it, then I’m all for that”.

Life after tennis

After his suspension, Odesnik shifted away from professional tennis. Forced into early retirement at 30, he pursued a career in real estate. His private Instagram bio references his involvement with “NextGen Real Estate Group,” while his LinkedIn profile describes him as a Texas-based real estate agent working in residential and commercial properties, property management, and investment consulting.

The Italian rolled past Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-0, 6-2, avenging two previous losses to the Canadian. With the win, the world No. 1 advanced to the semifinals without dropping a set as he looks to defend the title he won over Frances Tiafoe in 2024.

“Today I felt great on court,” Sinner said in his post-match press conference. “I think you saw that but every day is going to be different. Tomorrow is a day off, which is good for me. We will try and put some reps in and then see what I can do in the semis”.

With the win over the Canadian, Sinner notched his 25th straight victory on hard courts, becoming just the fifth man this century to achieve the feat, joining Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal.

Sinner about his formidable performance

The World No. 1 delivered a dominant performance, capitalizing on his serve and neutralizing his opponent’s. Sinner won 18 of 23 points on his first serve and 10 of 16 on his second, while also taking 29 of the 45 points played on Auger-Aliassime’s serve.

“I felt that I was returning very well today,” Sinner said. “I think that was the key point, which gave me the confidence to serve well. I had a small drop in the second set when he broke me. It could have been a small change but I am happy I broke him back quite early”.

Sinner on facing Auger-Aliassime

Surprisingly, Sinner entered the match trailing in their head-to-head record, with Auger-Aliassime having won both of their previous encounters—the first at the 2022 Madrid Masters and the second at this very tournament two years ago. Fully aware of the challenge ahead, Sinner made sure to prepare meticulously. After the match, he praised the Canadian’s skill set and physical condition.

“He is a very difficult opponent because he serves well, he moves well. Physically in incredible shape and hits the forehand very well. But we prepared in the best way, also tactically and I felt like today I was playing some great tennis,“ Sinner told reporters.

According to Mister Only Tennis, a stats-focused account on X, Sinner now holds one of the highest point totals recorded in the ATP Rankings over the past 35 years. In fact, since 1990, he is only the fifth player to accumulate this many points.

At the moment, Jannik leads the standings with 12,030 points, boosted by the 1,600 he earned with his Wimbledon title. That gives him a clear advantage over second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, who lost 700 points after failing to defend his 2024 Wimbledon title and now sits at 8,600.

To find a player who reached a similar point total, one has to go back to 2016. That year, Novak Djokovic racked up points from his titles at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2015, and followed them with wins at the Australian Open and Roland Garros in 2016. As the reigning champion of all four Grand Slams, he hit a staggering 16,950 points—a number no one else has matched before or since.

Roger Federer came close in 2006 when he won the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, while finishing runner-up at Roland Garros. That run earned him 15,495 points. Rafael Nadal was near that mark in 2009, reaching 15,390 points. Completing the list is Andy Murray, who peaked at 12,685 points in 2016.

How do the ATP Rankings work?

The ATP Rankings are a points-based system that ranks all professional tennis players based on their performances in official ATP Tour events over the past 12 months. Players earn a set number of points depending on how far they advance in a tournament and how important that event is, with points dropping off after 52 weeks.

The Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and US Open) carry the most weight, awarding 2,000 points to the winner. Next in importance are the Masters 1000 events and the ATP Finals. After that, a player’s best seven results from ATP 500s, ATP 250s, and Challenger events are also counted.

Sinner’s dominant run

To reach his current total of 12,030 points, Jannik Sinner has delivered a dominant stretch of tennis over the past year. And it’s worth noting that he’s doing it despite missing three months of competition—from February to May—due to a suspension following a positive doping test.

Sinner’s surge is largely driven by his performances at the Grand Slams: he is the reigning champion at three of the four majors. It began with his 2024 US Open title, followed by wins at the 2025 Australian Open and Wimbledon, along with a runner-up finish at Roland Garros. He also captured titles at three other important events that still count toward his ranking: the Cincinnati Masters 1000, the Shanghai Masters 1000, and the Nitto ATP Finals.

During a recent interview with The Tennis Mentor, Murray was candid about the challenges he faced during this new chapter alongside Djokovic. “When you’re working with someone at that level, it probably shows your strengths but also your weaknesses as a coach,” he said.

“Something I’d say most ex-players are sort of weak at is the technical side of the game,” Murray noted. “And at times, Novak was looking for a lot of technical feedback. It was something I didn’t really feel comfortable with.”

Murray’s coaching stint with Djokovic began earlier this year with a quarterfinal exit in Brisbane but showed promise at the Australian Open, where Novak reached the semifinals before losing to Alexander Zverev. After some disappointing performances, he achieved his best result under Murray at the Miami Open, where he lost in the final to Jakub Mensik.

However, things soon took a downturn for the Serbian star, with early exits in Monte Carlo and Madrid eventually leading to the end of his partnership with Murray. Curiously, in his first tournament after the split, Djokovic captured his 100th career title at the Geneva Open.

Murray hasn’t given up on coaching

Despite a debut coaching experience that came with unexpected challenges, Andy Murray remains interested in pursuing that role in the future. “I think at some stage I would like to do it again,” he admitted.

The two-time Wimbledon champion went on to explain that next time, he’s looking for a different kind of challenge. “I would probably enjoy working with a younger player and trying to influence them from a younger age,” Andy said. “Try to help any of the British players if they want and it works out.”

Murray’s coaching plans for the future

Well aware of the demands of coaching at the elite level, Murray knows he must prepare thoroughly to meet those expectations. “If I was going to coach again in the future, I’d want to work on and learn from someone who’s very good at that,” he said.

Finally, he revealed that he’s already taken steps in that direction: “Louis Cayer is one of the coaches who I worked with during my career on the technical side and he’s fantastic. He’s someone who I’ve reached out to since my time with Novak to potentially get some coaching for my coaching on that side of things.”

Sinner showed no mercy against Djokovic, who appeared to be dealing with physical issues and received medical attention before the start of the third set. The Italian cruised to a 6–3, 6–3, 6–4 win, setting up a rematch of the Roland Garros final, where Sinner had three championship points before Alcaraz came back to win the title.

With the win, Sinner joined the elite company of the “Big Four” as the only players since 1995 to reach the final of all four Grand Slam tournaments—Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.

Across the entire Open Era, Sinner is now the 11th player to appear in all four major finals. In addition to Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, and Murray, the list includes Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Jim Courier, and Andre Agassi.

Sinner tops ‘Big Four’ in key Grand Slam stat

Sinner’s run to the Wimbledon final also placed him above each member of the Big Four in terms of speed to reach all four major finals. The 22-year-old achieved the milestone in just his 23rd Grand Slam appearance—faster than any of Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, or Murray.

Among the Big Four it was Nadal who reached finals at all four majors in the fewest attempts—his 26th Grand Slam appearance. Federer followed with 29, while Djokovic needed 30. Murray, meanwhile, completed the feat in his 41st Slam appearance.

Sinner, however, reached this milestone in just his 23rd Grand Slam tournament, becoming the third-fastest player in the Open Era to do so. Only Jim Courier (19 appearances) and Andre Agassi (22) got there quicker.

Murray’s achievements have solidified his status as a legend not only in the United Kingdom but globally as well. Despite vying against three of the tennis world’s greatest players in history, he has carved out his own place among the sport’s elites.

As the first British player to capture the Wimbledon title since Fred Perry’s third consecutive win in 1936, Murray made history, twice, cementing his position in tennis lore. It is this exceptional accomplishment that prompted Wimbledon to announce an upcoming tribute in 2027.

This homage will coincide with Wimbledon’s 150th anniversary, venerating Murray for ending a 77-year drought for British champions at the prestigious tournament. With this acknowledgment, Murray will join the esteemed list of players immortalized with a statue, honoring their extraordinary impact on tennis.

Tennis legends immortalized in sculpture

As Murray is set to receive a statue in 2027, he joins a select group of tennis greats honored in this way. Rafael Nadal, for instance, already has a statue at Roland Garros, celebrating his unprecedented 14 French Open titles. This tribute cements his place in tennis history, given the numerous legends who have competed at Roland Garros but have not matched his dominance.

Interestingly, neither Roger Federer nor Novak Djokovic have statues commemorating their contributions to the sport. However, Federer has been honored in various art exhibitions across Europe, celebrating his illustrious career. Meanwhile, there is speculation about Djokovic potentially being honored with a statue at Rod Laver Arena in Australia. Australian Open Director Craig Tiley has not dismissed this possibility, leaving room for future recognition.

Other tennis legends with a statue:

• Rod Laver (Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park – Australian Open)
• Margaret Court (Melbourne Park – Australian Open)
• Evonne Goolagong Cawley (Melbourne Park – Australian Open)
• Fred Perry (All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club – Wimbledon)
• Suzanne Lenglen (Roland Garros – French Open)
• Rafael Nadal (Roland Garros – French Open)
• Billie Jean King (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center – US Open)
• Arthur Ashe (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center – US Open)

Murray’s legacy at Wimbledon

Andy Murray has carved out an iconic legacy at Wimbledon, which stands as arguably the most significant Grand Slam of his career. Below is a summary of his major achievements and statistics at the tournament:

• Titles: 2 (2013, 2016)
• Historic Moment: Murray’s 2013 victory marked the end of a 77-year drought, as he became the first British male to win the Wimbledon singles title since Fred Perry in 1936.
• Finals Appearances: 3 (2012, 2013, 2016)
• Match Record: 61 wins and 13 losses, resulting in an impressive 82% win rate at Wimbledon, ranking him 6th for most match wins at the tournament.
• Semifinal Appearances: Reached the semifinals multiple times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016).
• Olympic Gold: Secured an Olympic gold medal in singles at Wimbledon in 2012, defeating Roger Federer in the final on Centre Court.

In a candid reflection on his short-lived coaching experience, Andy Murray revealed he’s “not sure” whether he enjoyed his time working with Novak Djokovic. The two tennis greats, who were fierce rivals on the court for over a decade, briefly joined forces late last year in an unexpected post-retirement partnership. However, the collaboration lasted only six months and just four tournaments before coming to an end in May.

Speaking at an event in Glasgow’s SEC Armadillo, Murray opened up about how the coaching opportunity came about and his mixed feelings on the experience. “We had a chat on the phone and he asked me if I would consider coaching him, which I wasn’t expecting,” Murray said, as quoted by The Times.

“I think it was a pretty unique opportunity. I was really enjoying being at home, but I thought I should give it a go and see whether I enjoyed it. I’m not sure if I did,” Murray, who retired after the 2024 Paris Olympics, confessed.

However, Murray had previously said that he “learned” a lot during his coaching stint. “It was a chance to learn from one of the best athletes of all time,” Murray told BBC Sport on June 9. “You also learn a lot about how to work with a team… that was the thing I learned and something I need to work on if I want to do it again in the future.”

The Serbian icon failed to win a title during Murray’s time on his team, losing in the Miami Open final to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik and crashing out early in Monte Carlo and Madrid. His form picked up later, though, with a milestone 100th title in Geneva and a semifinal run at Roland Garros.

Murray is still interested in coaching in a future

Despite the mixed feelings, Murray isn’t closing the door on coaching altogether. “I would do it again at some stage. I don’t think that will happen immediately,” he added during the unveiling of the Andy Murray Arena at Queen’s Club in London earlier this week.

For now, Britain’s most decorated male tennis player since Fred Perry seems content to take a step back, at least temporarily. However, the 38-year-old, winner of three Grand Slams, was recently announced as new associate partner at Redrice Ventures, a London-based venture capital fund.

When discussing the sport’s all-time greats, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal are the names that dominate the conversation. Ranking them is a subjective exercise influenced by personal preferences. However, when it comes to the “fourth man” in this era of tennis, Andy Murray is an undisputed candidate.

Federer, who retired in 2022 after competing in the Laver Cup, secured 103 career titles, including 20 Grand Slam victories. His on-court success netted him $130.6 million in prize money—an amount that excludes endorsements, sponsorships, and other off-court deals.

Murray, often pitted against the Big Three, still managed to carve out his own legacy. The Scotsman captured three Grand Slam titles (2012 U.S. Open, 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon) and earned back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 2012 (London) and 2016 (Rio de Janeiro).

At his peak, Murray held the ATP World No. 1 ranking for 41 weeks in 2016, a testament to his consistency and success. Over the course of his professional career, which began in 2005 and concluded in 2024, Murray earned $64.6 million in prize money—roughly half of Federer’s total earnings, according to the ATP Tour’s official website.

It’s worth noting that prize money in tennis has grown substantially over the years. Today’s players receive far greater payouts for tournament victories compared to what was offered 10, 15, or 20 years ago.

Novak Djokovic: The financial ging of tennis

In addition to holding the record for the most Grand Slam titles (24), Novak Djokovic tops the all-time prize money list. Thanks to his dominance in major tournaments, Djokovic has raked in $186.9 million from on-court earnings alone—a figure that continues to climb as he remains an active player.

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray, who ended his coaching partnership with Novak Djokovic two days ago, has revealed which opponent was tougher for him: Rafael Nadal on clay or Roger Federer on grass.

During an appearance on the ForeBros Youtube Channel, Murray was asked who between Nadal and Federer was hardest to face on their preferred surface. “I would say Nadal on clay is the hardest. Definitely,” the three-time Grand Slam champion revealed.

Murray faced Nadal nine times on clay during their careers. The Spanish legend won seven of those matches, while Murray was able to beat him twice at the Madrid Open. He shocked him in the 2015 final to claim his first clay-court title, then defeated him again in the 2016 semifinal.

Meanwhile, he faced Federer three times on grass. The first meeting came in the 2012 Wimbledon final, which the Swiss Maestro won in four sets. Murray didn’t have to wait long for revenge, as they met again later that year in the 2012 Olympics final, where he won the gold. Their last match on grass took place at Wimbledon in 2015, with Federer winning a tight semifinal 7-5, 7-5, 6-4.

Stats: Federer on grass vs Nadal on clay

While both Federer and Nadal were great on every surface, including hard courts, they have become synonymous with grass and clay, respectively. In 2007, they even played a unique match called the Battle of the Surfaces, which combined both surfaces on the same court. Nadal won that exhibition match.

When it comes to his grass-court record, Federer played 192 matches, winning 87% of them (163-29). He also won eight Wimbledon titles, the record among men, and 10 titles in Halle, an all-time record.

On the other hand, Nadal has a 90% win percentage on clay, which is even more impressive when viewing the number of matches he played on the surface: 484, only losing 51. Of course, the Spaniard holds the absolute best record at Roland Garros, having won fourteen titles. He also has the record of most wins in Barcelona (12 titles), Monte Carlo (11), Italian Open (10), and Madrid (5).

In a new video shared on social media, Djokovic is seen training in Belgrade with his Davis Cup teammate Miomir Kecmanovic. Troicki also took part in the session, while Bosnjakovic was pictured working alongside Djokovic.

Both men have a close relationship with the 24-time Grand Slam champion. Troicki was in Djokovic’s box during last summer’s Paris Olympics and has coached him during brief spells. Bosnjakovic joined the team ahead of last year’s French Open, where Djokovic reached the quarter-finals before withdrawing due to a knee injury.

Djokovic hasn’t won an official title since the Paris Olympics. This season, he had deep runs in Australia, having to retire in the semifinals against Alexander Zverev, and in Miami, in which he lost the final to Jakub Mensik.

However, Djokovic has looked more uncertain than ever on clay this season. He lost his opening matches in both Monte Carlo and Madrid, where he had a first-round bye, before withdrawing from Rome altogether.

Djokovic admits his frustration

According to The Athletic, sources close to Murray weren’t surprised by the split. In Madrid, Djokovic was seen losing his cool during practice, and later, admitted he has to “adjust” to his “new reality” on Tour.

However, as he has proven time and time again, nobody should count him out. Especially in the biggest events. Djokovic will head to the Geneva Open next week, hoping to pick up his first win on clay this season at the ATP 250 event.

He is still chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam. As the French Open seems difficult, the Serbian could instead choose to point out to Wimbledon, as he has won seven times there, and could match Roger Federer’s record in London.

However, if he doesn’t go deep at the French Open or Wimbledon, retirement talk will only grow louder. “I hope it’s not [the end], but it could be,” he admitted recently. But first, all the attention will be on Geneva.