“Andy Murray wasn’t expecting it” – Novak Djokovic pinpoints why Brit is the ‘perfect’ coach for him
“Andy Murray wasn’t expecting it” – Novak Djokovic pinpoints why Brit is the ‘perfect’ coach for him
Novak Djokovic (L) & Andy Murray (R) [Image Source: Getty Images]
“Andy Murray wasn’t expecting it” – Novak Djokovic pinpoints why Brit is the ‘perfect’ coach for him
By
Sreeja Banik
Modified Nov 29, 2024 17:33 GMT
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Novak Djokovic recently explained why Andy Murray is the “perfect” coach for him. The Serb ended his six-year-long partnership with his former coach, Goran Ivanisevic, in March this year after his campaign at the 2024 Indian Wells Masters where he was defeated in the third round by a lucky loser.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion announced on social media that Murray would be his coach for the upcoming season.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Djokovic talked about how the decision to bring Murray on board came about. He revealed that after parting ways with Ivanisevic, he spent the last couple of months contemplating his next steps and what he needed at this stage of his career.
“Well I was going through a process of thinking about next season in the last couple months and trying to figure out basically what I need at this stage of my career ‘cause I stopped with my coach, Goran Ivanesevic with whom I was very successful with and worked for many years, earlier this year in March,” he said.
The former World No.1 explained that he was looking for a coach who had experienced similar challenges and successes in their career as he has.
“So 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. So we’re going through different names and I realised that the perfect coach for me at this point would be someone that has been through the experiences that I’m going through,” he added.
After brainstorming with his team, Djokovic decided that the new coach should be a former Grand Slam winner and former World No.1. Among many names considered, Andy Murray stood out as the “perfect” fit.
“Possibly a multiple Grand Slam winner and former [World] No.1. I was thinking about different people and then Andy Murray discussion appeared on the table with me and my team. I was like, ‘Okay! I’m gonna give him a call and see how it goes.’ It caught him [Andy Murray] a little bit off guard as well because he wasn’t expecting it,” the Serb continued.
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Djokovic revealed that Murray was “caught off-guard” by the offer but soon accepted it. He expressed that he is “excited” to work with the Brit and also said that their collaboration will be “exciting for tennis “.
“So we connected really fast and 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, to everyone, but it’s exciting for tennis. He’s been one of my greatest rivals and we’re the same age and we played in all the biggest stadiums in our sport. So I can’t wait to get out on the court and prepare for the next season,” he said.
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“Novak Djokovic needs a strategist & IQ mind” – Andy Roddick on the Serb’s appointment of Andy Murray as his coach
Novak Djokovic & Andy Murray at the 2016 Italian Open [Source: Getty]Novak Djokovic & Andy Murray at the 2016 Italian Open [Source: Getty]
While speaking in a recent episode of his podcast, ‘Served with Andy Roddick,’ Roddick expressed that Novak Djokovic would benefit from having a coach who is strategic and possesses a sharp mind, someone with whom he can exchange ideas.
“Novak doesn’t need a babysitter. He doesn’t need someone to teach him professionalism. He doesn’t need someone to teach him how to hit a forehand or a backhand. He needs a strategist and IQ mind that he can bounce ideas off and work on very specific things for very specific matchups,” Andy Roddick said [18:26].
Roddick stated that Djokovic has found just that in Andy Murray as his coach, who not only provides him with confidence but also offers solutions.
“With Novak, the rare times when he has to ask a question, not because he doesn’t know the answer but because maybe there’s an answer that will give him more confidence in the solution. That’s what he’s getting. He’s [Murray] not there is no fix. How do you fix Novak Djokovic? You can’t because the guy’s a robotic, cyborg genius. Like there’s no fix,” he added [19:02].
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have faced each other a total of 36 times on the ATP Tour, with Djokovic holding the advantage in their head-to-head record by winning 25 of their matches.
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