Shared experiences make Andy Murray ‘perfect coach’, says Novak Djokovic

LONDON – Novak Djokovic said that shared experiences with Andy Murray make the Scot the “perfect coach”, as he bids to win a record 25th Grand Slam in Australia in January.

Murray, a three-time Major winner, retired after the Paris Olympics at the age of 37, finally admitting defeat in his long battle against injury.

On Nov 23, Djokovic made the surprise announcement that he was teaming up with his long-time British rival in the off-season and in the build-up to the first Grand Slam of 2025.

He admitted Murray, born just a week before himself, was caught off guard but that they “connected really fast”.

“I was trying to figure out what I need at this stage of my career, because I stopped with my (former) coach Goran Ivanisevic, who I was very successful with and worked for many years, in March,” the Serb told Sky Sports.

“So I took about six months to really think about if I need a coach and, if yes, who that’s going to be. We were going through names and I realised that the perfect coach for me at this point would be someone who has been through the experiences I am going through, possibly a multiple Grand Slam winner, a former (world) No. 1.

“I was thinking about different people and a discussion about Andy Murray appeared with me and my team.”

Djokovic, who ended his wait for Olympic gold in Paris, is tied with Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam titles won by any player, but 2024 is the first year he has not lifted a Major since 2017.

The Serb, who said the collaboration was also a surprise to him, hopes adding Murray to his team will help him challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who have established a new power base at the top of the men’s game.

“I still will try to go strong because I feel like my body is serving me well. I still have motivation to win Grand Slams, make more history,” Djokovic added.

“That’s one of the biggest reasons why I asked Andy to work with me, because I still have big plans. So, as long as that’s the case, I will keep going.

“It’s exciting for tennis. He’s been one of my greatest rivals. We’re the same age. We’ve played in all the biggest stadiums in our sport. So I can’t wait to get out on the court and prepare for next season.”

The two players were members of the so-called “Big Four”, along with Rafael Nadal, who retired earlier in November, and Roger Federer, who left the sport in 2022.

Meanwhile, Australian Open quarter-finalist Hubert Hurkacz has added eight-time Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl and former Olympic gold medallist Nicolas Massu to his coaching set-up for next year, the Polish world No. 16 announced in a social media post on Nov 29.

Lendl, who coached Murray, will replace Craig Boynton, who parted ways with Hurkacz in August.

Massu, who won the men’s singles and doubles golds in the 2004 Olympics, coached Dominic Thiem when he won the US Open in 2020. AFP, REUTERS