Andy Murray humorously remarked that his new role as Novak Djokovic’s coach was part of a plan to prevent the Serbian from claiming another Australian Open title, following several painful losses to Djokovic in Melbourne.
Djokovic’s decision to appoint Murray as his coach was a shocking development that caught tennis fans and analysts off guard. The two were once fierce competitors, having faced each other in seven Grand Slam finals, as well as battles at the Olympics and ATP Finals.
Murray, whose career took a downturn after a serious hip injury in 2016, retired from singles competition following last year’s Olympics. During the Games, he partnered with Dan Evans in doubles, where they saved match points in two matches before being eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Although Murray lacks prior coaching experience, Djokovic sees him as the ideal mentor, given his familiarity with the pressures of competing at the highest levels against the world’s best players.
While Murray was absent during Djokovic’s participation in the Brisbane International, he joined the Serbian in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open. Their high-profile partnership has already drawn significant media attention.
A report by The Guardian detailed their interactions during Djokovic’s practice set against Carlos Alcaraz, which Djokovic narrowly won 7-5. The pair communicated frequently, discussing details such as Djokovic’s forehand technique and split-step timing. Murray also questioned Djokovic to gain insights into his mental approach during matches.
Djokovic followed the practice set with an exhibition win against Alexander Zverev, adding momentum to his preparations for the season’s first Grand Slam.
During an on-court interview at the Rod Laver Arena with Djokovic and Zverev, Murray joked that his coaching role was part of a plot to sabotage Djokovic after suffering four Australian Open final defeats to him, sparking laughter from the audience.
“I played here a few times. Yeah.. could never get over the line, unfortunately. This man (points to Djokovic) was single-handedly responsible for that. So, I’m now here to sabotage his chances of winning another one.”
The three-time Grand Slam champion adopted a more serious tone when reflecting on how the partnership with Djokovic materialized. While coaching wasn’t something he initially planned to pursue, the chance to collaborate with Djokovic was an opportunity he simply couldn’t resist.
“I was actually playing golf. We’d exchanged messages and missed calls and stuff. Then eventually, I was on the 17th hole of the golf course, and the guy I was playing with said to me, ‘Do you know what’s next?’. I was like, ‘No, not really’. He said ‘Do you have any plans to do any coaching?’ And I said, ‘Honestly, I can’t think of anything worse to do right now.'”
“Then 30 minutes later, I was in the car and I called Novak, and then we had a conversation, and he asked if I would be interested in helping, which I obviously wasn’t expecting. [When the offer came] I spoke to my family, and after a couple of days, I thought that it was a pretty unique opportunity and experience.”
Murray shared that he and Djokovic spent time together during the off-season to evaluate their compatibility before committing to working together through at least the conclusion of the Australian Open.
“I thought it would be a good idea to try it together, and spend some time in the off-season through Australia and see how it goes for both of us, because it’s a little bit different. It’s not the usual kind of set-up, so it made sense to trial it and see if it works. And then we said we’d make a more definitive decision after the tournament.”
