- The shocking news sees Djokovic praise the arrival of “one of his biggest rivals” to his team
In one of the most sensational quotes the sport has ever seen, Novak Djokovic appointed his old rival Andy Murray to coach him during the Australian Open.
Djokovic commented: “I am excited to have one of my biggest rivals on the same side of the net as my coach. I am looking forward to starting the season and competing in Australia alongside Andy with whom I have shared many exceptional moments on Australian soil. ”.
Murray commented: “I will be joining Novak’s team in the off-season, helping him prepare for the Australian Open. I am very excited about this and look forward to spending time on the same side of the net as Novak for a change, helping him achieve his goals.” .
Djokovic beat Murray in four Australian Open finals and in 25 of their 36 meetings overall.
It has long been suspected that training would be the natural next step for Murray, but for him to start with the 24-time Grand Slam champion – and the man who denied him more times than anyone else – is a huge surprise.
And what an intriguing decision by Djokovic, entering a season that could possibly be his last. He has been without a head coach since March, when he dispensed with the services of Goran Ivanisevic, and obviously feels that collaborating with Murray could give him the extra push he needs to compete with the new young stars on the circuit: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. .
Novak Djokovic to team up with former rival Andy Murray for this year’s Australian Open
Djokovic missed out on a Grand Slam title this year for the first time since 2017, but he finally won an Olympic gold medal in singles, a prize he has fought for his entire career.
Sharing a video announcement on his Instagram page, Djokovic mocked Murray’s social media post about his retirement earlier this year, in which he claimed he had “never liked” tennis with his own missive .
“He never liked retirement anyway (hands up emoji),” Djokovic wrote.