Djokovic calls Murray coaching role ‘exciting for tennis’

Novak Djokovic has announced his choice to name former competitor Andy Murray as his coach, describing the move as “a surprise to everyone” yet “exciting for tennis.” Djokovic holds a record 10 Australian Open titles, having defeated Murray in four finals held in Melbourne. Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion from Britain, concluded his professional tennis career in August. He is slated to collaborate with Djokovic during the off-season and in preparation for the Australian Open. Speaking to Sky Sports, Djokovic, who holds the men’s record with 24 major titles, acknowledged that his initial phone call to Murray took him “a little off-guard.” However, the 37-year-old Serb stated that he and Murray “connected really fast,” leading Murray to accept the position within a few days. This agreement came less than four months after Murray’s career concluded at the Paris Olympics. Djokovic, who shares the record with Margaret Court for the most major singles titles won by any player, commented: “I took about six months to figure out what I needed at this stage of my career. “I realised 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. It caught him a little of 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.” While the Serb secured his long-awaited Olympic gold in Paris this summer, his 2024 season was otherwise challenging when measured against his usual high performance levels. This marks the first season since 2005 where Djokovic did not claim an ATP event victory, and it is also the first time since 2017 that he did not win a major title. Djokovic and Murray, born merely weeks apart, emerged as junior rivals before their competition extended to the sport’s most significant titles. Rafael Nadal became the most recent member of the ‘Big Four’ era in men’s tennis to depart the sport in November, following Roger Federer’s retirement in 2022 and the conclusion of Murray’s career. Addressing his own future, Djokovic stated: “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. “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.”