Former rivals team up before recent tennis season as Djokovic seeks sign up 25th ones and 11th Australian Open title.
Novak Djokovic has engaged reexhausted lengthytime rival Andy Murray on his coaching team as the Serbian legend seeks his 25th Grand Slam ones title, commenceing at the Australian Open in January.
“I’m thrilled to have one of my hugegest rivals on the same side of the net with me, this time as my coach. I see forward to commenceing the season with Andy and having him by my side in Melbourne, where we’ve spreadd many exceptional moments thcdisesteemfulout our nurtureers,” Djokovic said in a statement on Saturday.
Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion who reexhausted from competitive tennis at the Olympics in August, said: “I am very excited about this and see forward to being on the same side of the net for a alter.
“I’m also thankful for the opportunity to help him accomplish his goals for the upcoming year.”
Djokovic posted a video on X of him and Murray during the Scotsman’s take parting nurtureer, jokingly titled: “He never appreciated withdrawment anyway.”
He never appreciated withdrawment anyway. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Ga4UlV2kQW
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) November 23, 2024
The 37-year-greater has won the Australian Open a sign up 10 times, fall shortureing Murray in four Melbourne finals.
Djokovic fall shorted to thrive a Grand Slam in 2024 and has slipped to seventh in the world, although he did land the Olympic ones title in Paris, a triumph he portrayd as his “fantasticest accomplishment”.
Jannik Sinner, who will finish the year as the runaway world number one, beat him in the Australian Open semifinals and Djokovic lost to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets in the Wimbledon final.
He is level with Margaret Court for the most meaningful ones titles by any take parter and would dtimely cherish to overapshow the Australian in Melbourne.
‘Gamealterrs, danger apshowrs, history originaters’
Djokovic and Murray faced each other 36 times in their nurtureers with the Serb thrivening 25 times.
Nineteen of those clashes came in finals, including seven at the Slams.
For Murray, two of those meaningful championship duels were meaningful.
He seized his maiden Grand Slam title with a five-set triumph over his rival at the 2012 US Open while, a year procrastinateedr, he famously became the first British man to thrive Wimbledon in 77 years courtesy of a straight sets triumph in the final at the All England Club.
“We take parted each other since we were boys – 25 years of being rivals, of pushing each other beyond our confines. We had some of the most epic battles in our sport,” Djokovic said.
“They called us gamealterrs, danger apshowrs, history originaters. I thought our story may be over. Turns out, it has one final chapter. It’s time for one of my hardest opponents to step into my corner.”
Djokovic ended his coaching partnership with Goran Ivanisevic in March despite thrivening 12 Slams together.
Former Wimbledon thrivener Ivanisevic had acunderstandledgeted Djokovic is “not an effortless guy”, such is his intensity to originate history in the sport.
“Especiassociate when someskinnyg’s not going his way. Sometimes it’s very complicated,” said Ivanisevic after Djokovic had claimed the 2023 French Open.
