Novak Djokovic shares how Andy Murray reacted when he first called him about becoming his coach as he finally speaks on decision
Novak Djokovic tells the story of how Andy Murray became his new coach.
One of the biggest tennis headlines this year emerged on Saturday when Murray, just three months after retiring, has now become a coach.
Djokovic chose to appoint Murray as his coach in the hope his former rival would give him an edge at the start of the 2025 season.
Their partnership is set to last until at least the end of the Australian Open, a title Djokovic will look to regain after losing to Jannik Sinner in the 2024 semi-finals.
Novak Djokovic explains how his “surprise” Andy Murray link up came about 🤝 pic.twitter.com/s8Wf6NHViA
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Novak Djokovic shares show Andy Murray joined his coaching team
For anyone that still cannot quite believe that Andy Murray will be coaching Novak Djokovic, the Serbian has now shared the conversations that took place to make it a reality.
While at the practice session ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix, the 37-year-old spoke to Sky Sports F1 about the latest big decision he has made in his career, which took him by surprise as well as the fans.
“So I took six months to really think about if I need a coach and if yes, who that is going to be, and the profile of the coach,” said Djokovic, who is at the Qatar GP after being announced as the new Global Brand Ambassador for Qatar Airways.
“We were going through different names and I realised that the perfect coach for me at this point would be someone who has been through the experiences I am going through. Possibly a multiple Grand Slam winner, a former number one.
Jannick Sanner plays with Novak Djokovic in the final of the 2024 Shanghai Rolex Masters in Shanghai, China, on October 13, 2024.
Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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“I was thinking about different people and then the Andy Murray discussion appeared on the table with me and my team. I was like I am going to give him a call and see how it goes. It caught him a bit off guard as well because he wasn’t expecting it.
“We connected really fast and he accepted after a few days. I couldn’t be more excited about it. This collaboration is a surprise to me as well, to everyone, but it’s exciting for tennis.
“He has been one of my greatest rivals, the same age, we have played on all the biggest stadiums in our sport so I can’t wait to get out on the court and prepare for next season.”
Novak Djokovic is no stranger to being coached by big names
Djokovic has appointed a high profile name to be his coach in Murray, but he is not the first of his kind to be his corner.
In March, Djokovic parted ways with 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, who now coaches Elena Rybakina, after a successful five-year partnership.
During that time Djokovic won nine Grand Slams and became the male player with the most number of major title wins, overtaking Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
From 2013 to 2016, Djokovic’s string of big-name coaches began when he hired Boris Becker. It was another fruitful partnership for Djokovic, as he won six Grand Slam titles and 14 Masters 1000 titles under the German.
This included the French Open, which he won for the first time in 2016 and in the process completed the set of winning all four majors.
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