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Novak Djokovic explained why he hired Andy Murray as his new coach.
Novak Djokovic explained why he hired Andy Murray as his new coach. / IMAGO / NurPhoto
Earlier this week, Qatar Airways announced Novak Djokovic as its latest Global Brand Ambassador. Shortly after the announcement, Djokovic was spotted attending official events ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.
Naturally, reporters wanted more details following his shocking decision to hire friend and former-rival Andy Murray as his next coach to prepare for the 2025 Australian Open.
The always-candid Djokovic did not hold back with his answer when speaking with Sky News.
“Well, I’ve been going through a process of thinking about next season in the last couple of months and thinking about what I need at this stage of my career because I split with Goran Ivanisevic, who I was very successful with and worked for many years, earlier this year in March,” said Djokovic.
He continued, “I took about six months to really think about if I need a coach and, if yes, who that’s going to be and the profile of the coach.
Novak Djokovic shakes hands with Andy Murray after their practice match.
Novak Djokovic had a long rivalry and friendship with Andy Murray. / IMAGO/Action Plus
We were going through different names, and I realized that the perfect coach for me at this point would be somebody who has been through the same experiences I’m going through, a multiple Grand Slam winner, a former World No 1.”
Djokovic was not finished, “And I was thinking about different people and then Andy Murray appeared on the table with me and my team. And I thought, ‘Okay, I’m going to give him a call and see how it goes.’ It caught him a little bit off guard as well because he wasn’t expecting it.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion concluded, “We connected really fast, and so he accepted it after a few days, and I can’t be more excited about it. This collaboration is a surprise to me, as well as everybody, but it’s exciting for tennis.
He’s been one of my greatest rivals. We’re the same age, we’ve played in the biggest stadiums in our sport. And I can’t wait to get out on the court and prepare for next season.”
Next year’s Australian Open starts on January 12, but Djokovic plans to play a smaller tournament before the Grand Slam to help prepare himself. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated’s Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.
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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON
Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored “Kobe Bryant’s Sneaker History (1996-2020),” and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.
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