Last week, the tennis world was shocked by the news that the recently retired Andy Murray will be coaching Novak Djokovic in the upcoming Australian Open. The Serbian explained why he chose the British as a part of his team.
“I realized the perfect coach would be someone who has been through the experiences I’m going through, possibly a multiple Grand slam winner and world number one. We discussed Andy Murray and I said I would give him a call and see how it goes,” the Serbian told Sky Sports.
“It caught him a little off guard. We connected really fast and he accepted after a few days. I couldn’t be more excited about it. This collaboration is a surprise to everyone, including me, but it’s exciting for tennis,” he added.
Murray will be coaching Djokovic less than four months after ending his career at the Paris Olympics. They will work in off-season and in the build-up to the Australian Open, a tournament that Djokovic has won 10 times, being the man with the most titles.
Andy Murray retired from tennis at the 2024 Paris Olympics (IMAGO / Colorsport)
While Djokovic won Gold at the Paris Olympics, this year was the first season since 2005 in which he did not win an ATP event. It’s also his first season since 2017 in which he didn’t win a major title, while he boasts the record with 24.
Djokovic on his own retirement
After Rafael Nadal became the latest member of the “Big Four” to hang up the racket, Djokovic also reflected on his possible retirement. “We all know we have to stop and say goodbye at some point. Even though it was expected for Rafa and Andy, both of them saying farewell to the sport is a shock for all of us,” he said.
“My body is serving me well, I still have motivation to win Grand Slams. The reason I asked Andy to work with me is because I still have big plans. I’ll keep going as much as I can feel like I can keep being a candidate for the biggest titles,” he said.
