Djokovic Explains Why He Believes Murray Is The ‘Perfect Coach’ For Him

Novak Djokovic shocked tennis fans around the world by appointing Andy Murray as his new coach, and the tennis legend has explained why he thinks the move could work.

Djokovic competed without a permanent coach for most of 2024. He and Goran Ivanisevic parted ways after a successful partnership of nearly five years that included ten Grand Slam titles.

Ivanisevic now works with Elena Rybakina. The Kazakhstani player announced ahead of the WTA Finals that she and the 2001 Wimbledon champion would begin the partnership in the off-season.

Djokovic, who does not have a permanent coach to help him, failed to win a Grand Slam for the first time since 2017 this year. The closest he came was finishing runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz for the second consecutive season.

However, despite only winning a record-low title in 2024, Djokovic’s season can still be considered a success as he achieved his long-desired Olympic gold medal by beating Alcaraz at Roland-Garros.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion is currently at a crossroads. He is statistically the most successful player ever and has won every major title in the sport.

This situation left a question mark as to whether Djokovic could motivate himself for 2025. The 37-year-old actor admits that he is focused Taking part in all four Grand Slams and representing Serbia in this final stage of his career are among his prioritiesbut he already holds more important titles than any other man.

Djokovic answered those questions loud and clear by relegating Murray to at least the end of the 2025 Australian Open. He played in seven Grand Slam finals with the British team from 2011 to 2016, winning five but losing at the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013.

Murray wouldn’t have been hired if Djokovic didn’t believe he could still compete in top tournaments. The ten-time Australian Open champion told Sky Sports why he thinks Murray is the right appointment.

“I was going through the process of thinking about what I needed at this stage of my career because in March I approached my coach, Goran Ivanisevic, with whom I had great success and worked with for many years.”

“It took me about six months to think about whether I needed a coach and, if so, who it would be and the profile of the coach. We were looking at different names and I realized that the perfect coach was for me. Someone who has had the same experiences as I have, probably a multi-time Grand Slam winner and former world champion.” Number 1.”

“I was thinking about different people and then a discussion about Andy Murray came up on the table with me and my team and I said, ‘Okay, I’ll call him and see how it goes.’ It caught him off guard a little bit because he wasn’t expecting it. We connected really quickly and within a few days Then he accepted it.”

“I couldn’t be more excited about this collaboration. It’s a surprise for me, like everyone else, but it’s also exciting for tennis. He was one of my biggest rivals, we’re the same age and we’ve played in all the tournaments. These are the biggest stadiums in the sport so I can’t wait to get out there and get ready for next season.” .”