Novak Djokovic has appointed his former rival and three-time Brilliant Slam champion Andy Murray as his pristine trainer.
Murray, 37, known as age on his illustrious 19-year profession next the Paris Olympics in August however makes his go back to tennis to backup the 24-time Brilliant Slam winner’s arrangements for the Australian Perceptible, which starts on January 12.
Djokovic, 37, mentioned: “I am excited to have one of my greatest rivals on the same side of the net, as my coach. Looking forward to start of the season and competing in Australia alongside Andy with whom I have shared many exceptional moments on the Australian soil.”
In a video pronouncing Murray’s appointment on X, global Deny. 7 Djokovic added: “We played each other since we were boys; 25 years of being rivals, of pushing each other beyond our limits.
“We had some of the most epic battles in our sport. I thought our story was over, turns out it has one final chapter.
“It is time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner.”
The Serbian parted techniques with former trainer Goran Ivanisevic in March this yr.
Murray, who beat Djokovic to win his first Brilliant Slam on the U.S. Perceptible in 2012, mentioned: “I’m going to be joining Novak’s team in the off season, helping him to prepare for the Australian Open. I’m really excited for it and looking forward to spending time on the same side of the net as Novak for a change, helping him to achieve his goals.”
The Scot defeated Djokovic to finish Superb Britain’s 77-year stay up for a males’s Wimbledon champion in 2013 sooner than profitable it once more in 2016 next defeating Milos Raonic.
Born a hour aside in Might 1987, the duo had been common warring parties as juveniles and went directly to play games every alternative 36 occasions as pros. Djokovic gained the vast majority of the ones head-to-head conferences, with 25 victories to Murray’s 11.
Djokovic and Murray confronted off within the Australian Perceptible ultimate in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016 — with the Serbian profitable on all 4 events.
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Djokovic (left) beat Murray (proper) in 4 Australian Perceptible finals between 2011 and 2016 (Photograph by way of Michael Dodge/Getty Pictures)
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Research by way of Charlie Eccleshare
Bear in mind the ones fits the place Murray would do one thing so completely lunatic you needed to do a double remove?
Smartly it seems he nonetheless fancies somewhat of that during departure. These days’s (Saturday) announcement stuck everybody in tennis by way of amaze and seems like one of these factor that will be prompt in on-line boards or by way of lovers over a couple of beverages however doesn’t in truth occur in the actual global.
Come on, Murray has most effective simply retired, he’s playing having right kind age together with his nation and dealing on his golfing recreation, he’s entitled to a tranquility few months.
Or no longer. Rather he’s signed as much as one of the crucial subtle coach-player relationships in tennis historical past. Indubitably it’s extraordinarily uncommon to have one of these just lately retired participant linking up with one in all their fat competitors.
The Murray camp had been tight-lipped on Saturday about what precisely his position shall be and the way it has come about, (group Djokovic had been additionally contacted for remark) however he’s going to undoubtedly be a accentuation given the mutual appreciate between those two.
The truth that Djokovic beat Murray in 4 Australian Perceptible finals most effective provides to the intrigue round it given their partnership will get started in earnest in Melbourne in January.
How Murray will function as a trainer is unknown, however he has at all times been held in extraordinarily prime commendation in tennis circles for his impish research of the sport. His prime tennis IQ was once one in all his greatest strengths as a participant and one guess has been that he’s going to one age be the British Davis Cup captain (an match he nearly single-handed gained for his nation 9 years in the past).
Djokovic doesn’t want a lot steerage on his pictures, or in reality the psychological facet of the sport, however Murray will trade in him a pristine viewpoint next a combined yr.
The 24-time Brilliant Slam champion gained the Olympic gold medal he craved however differently didn’t select up every other identify in 2024. This appointment presentations that Djokovic, now 37, is taking a look to freshen issues up as he makes an attempt to reel again within the younger would-be usurpers Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner who each beat him in a Brilliant Slam fit this yr and fracture the 4 majors among them.
Djokovic already shook issues up in March when he parted techniques with former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, who were his primary trainer for 2 years and a part of the group since 2018.
Perceptible Murray within the coaches field, an segment he old to hurl such a lot invective in opposition to, will remove some getting old to, however this would finally end up being a masterstroke. Or it would travel the best way of Djokovic’s extreme partnership with a former global Number 1, the in large part unsuccessful hyperlink up with Andre Agassi throughout the barren length of 2017 and the primary part of 2018.
Both means, this announcement means that even in departure Murray has misplaced none of his skill to stun the tennis and wider global.
(Manage photograph: AK BijuRaj/Getty Pictures)
