Djokovic explains why he appointed Murray as coach | ATP Tour

Novak Djokovic

Djokovic explains why he appointed Murray as coach

The former world No. 1 will start working in Australia

November 29, 2024

Novak Djokovic’s decision to name his old friend and rival Andy Murray as his new coach has caused a stir since last week.

How did you make the decision? The Serbian explained it all this Friday in an interview with Sky Sports during his time at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Qatar.

“I’ve been thinking about next season over the last few months and figuring out what I needed as I stopped working with my coach Goran Ivanisevic, who I had success with,” the 37-year-old right-hander told Sky Sports. “It took me about six months to think about whether I really needed a coach and, if so, who it would be and [cuál sería] the profile.”

“We were considering different names and at that moment I realized that the perfect coach would be someone who had gone through the experiences that I have gone through. A multiple Grand Slam winner… and I was thinking about a few and the discussion about Andy Murray came up on the table with my team. I decided to call him and see how it went. “It took him a little by surprise because he wasn’t expecting it.”

“We connected very quickly and he accepted it after a few days. I couldn’t be more excited about it. This collaboration is a surprise for me too, for everyone, but it is exciting for tennis. He has been one of my biggest rivals, we are the same age. “We play on all the biggest stages in our sport, so I can’t wait to be there next season.”

Djokovic will try to win his 25th major at the Australian Open in January. Born one week apart in May 1987, both Djokovic and Murray rose to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, and battled on the world’s biggest stages. Djokovic. Murray had a Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry with 36 matches. The first one won 25 of them.

Murray ended his playing career at the Paris Olympics in July.