Djokovic hires Andy Murray as coach for Australian Open tennis Grand Slam

Former rivals squad up earlier caller tennis play arsenic Djokovic seeks grounds 25th singles and 11th Australian Open title.

Novak Djokovic has hired retired longtime rival Andy Murray connected his coaching squad arsenic the Serbian fable seeks his 25th Grand Slam singles title, starting astatine the Australian Open successful January.

“I’m thrilled to person 1 of my biggest rivals connected the aforesaid broadside of the nett with me, this clip arsenic my coach. I look guardant to starting the play with Andy and having him by my broadside successful Melbourne, wherever we’ve shared galore exceptional moments passim our careers,” Djokovic said successful a connection connected Saturday.

Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion who retired from competitory tennis astatine the Olympics successful August, said: “I americium precise excited astir this and look guardant to being connected the aforesaid broadside of the nett for a change.

“I’m besides grateful for the accidental to assistance him execute his goals for the upcoming year.”

Djokovic posted a video connected X of him and Murray during the Scotsman’s playing career, jokingly titled: “He ne'er liked status anyway.”

He ne'er liked status anyway. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Ga4UlV2kQW

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) November 23, 2024

The 37-year-old has won the Australian Open a grounds 10 times, defeating Murray successful 4 Melbourne finals.

Djokovic failed to triumph a Grand Slam successful 2024 and has slipped to seventh successful the world, though helium did onshore the Olympic singles rubric successful Paris, a triumph helium described arsenic his “greatest achievement”.

Jannik Sinner, who volition decorativeness the twelvemonth arsenic the runaway satellite fig one, bushed him successful the Australian Open semifinals and Djokovic mislaid to Carlos Alcaraz successful consecutive sets successful the Wimbledon final.

He is level with Margaret Court for the astir large singles titles by immoderate subordinate and would dearly emotion to overtake the Australian successful Melbourne.

‘Gamechangers, hazard takers, past makers’

Djokovic and Murray faced each different 36 times successful their careers with the Serb winning 25 times.

Nineteen of those clashes came successful finals, including 7 astatine the Slams.

For Murray, 2 of those large title duels were significant.

He captured his maiden Grand Slam rubric with a five-set triumph implicit his rival astatine the 2012 US Open while, a twelvemonth later, helium famously became the archetypal British antheral to triumph Wimbledon successful 77 years courtesy of a consecutive sets triumph successful the last astatine the All England Club.

“We played each different since we were boys – 25 years of being rivals, of pushing each different beyond our limits. We had immoderate of the astir epic battles successful our sport,” Djokovic said.

“They called america gamechangers, hazard takers, past makers. I thought our communicative whitethorn beryllium over. Turns out, it has 1 last chapter. It’s clip for 1 of my toughest opponents to measurement into my corner.”

Djokovic ended his coaching concern with Goran Ivanisevic successful March contempt winning 12 Slams together.

Former Wimbledon victor Ivanisevic had admitted Djokovic is “not an casual guy”, specified is his strength to marque past successful the sport.

“Especially erstwhile something’s not going his way. Sometimes it’s precise complicated,” said Ivanisevic aft Djokovic had claimed the 2023 French Open.