Novak Djokovic appoints former rival Andy Murray as his new coach

Andy Murray will coach Novak Djokovic through to the Australia Open.

November 23 marked the start of an unexpected partnership as the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic joined hands with Great Britain legend Andy Murray, who only recently bid adieu to the sport post the Paris Olympics. Murray is expected to coach the Serbian at least till the next Australian Open in January 2025.

Murray, 37, has had a stellar career marked by significant accomplishments, including winning three Grand Slam titles—Wimbledon (2013, 2016) and the US Open (2012)—and achieving the World No. #1 ranking in 2016. Additionally, he is a two-time Olympic singles gold medalist, triumphing at London 2012 and Rio 2016.

The rivalry between Djokovic and Andy Murray is one of the defining narratives of their era in tennis. Having known each other since their junior days, they have faced off 36 times in professional matches. Djokovic leads the head-to-head with a 25-11 advantage, highlighting the Serbian’s dominance particularly in Grand Slam tournaments where he leads 8-2.

The 37-year-old has spent more weeks at No. #1 than any other player in tennis history. On Saturday, he took to twitter to formally announce Andy Murray as his new coach. “I am excited to have one of my greatest rivals on the same side of the net as my coach,” he said.

He never liked retirement anyway. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Ga4UlV2kQW

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) November 23, 2024

“Looking forward to the start of the season and competing in Australia alongside Andy with whom I have shared many exceptional moments on the Australian soil.”

Murray, who lost four Australian Open finals to Djokovic in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016, said after the appointment, “I’m going to be joining Novak’s team in the off-season, helping him to prepare for the Australian Open.

Also Read: Five opponents Novak Djokovic has faced most in Grand Slam finals

“I’m really excited about it and looking forward to spending time on the same side of the net as Novak for a change, helping him to achieve his goals”.

The Australian Open is set to start from January 2025, and with Djokovic having a stellar record down-under, the tournament presents the Serbian potentially his final opportunity to surpass the greats of the game and win his 25th major Grand Slam title.

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