Andy Murray bid an emotional farewell to tennis at the Paris Olympics in the summer but will return as legendary rival Novak Djokovic’s coach for the Australian Open
Andy Murray has been announced as Novak Djokovic’s new coach, with the Scot’s comments about his former ‘Big Three’ rivals showing just how much respect he has for the Serbian tennis legend.
Murray hung up his racket earlier this year due to persistent injuries, calling time on a career which saw him claim three Grand Slams and two Olympic gold medals. He will now lend his expertise to his long-time rival Djokovic – the same man who stopped him from winning more titles – ahead of January’s Australian Open.
The Scot, who reached five Australian Open finals and lost to Djokovic in four of those, has always shown huge respect towards the 24-time Grand Slam champion. His admiration was especially clear when he was asked to weigh in on the ‘greatest of all time’ debate, involving Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Djokovic.
The 37-year-old, whose success briefly formed a ‘Big Four’ alongside the aforementioned trio, admitted Djokovic’s sheer volume of titles could be deemed GOAT-worthy but also offered a more delicate take on the everlasting debate.
“What all those guys have achieved is amazing,” Murray said in 2023. “If you just go on Grand Slam titles, then you’d have to give that to Novak but for me, it’s just slightly more nuanced than that.
“The thing that for me has been really special about those three guys is their [ability to dominate certain] surfaces. Rafa on the clay, I don’t think anyone can doubt who’s the best clay court player of all time.
“For me, Novak is clearly the best hard court player of all time and then grass is kind of still to be decided, between probably [Novak] and Roger. But yeah, what all those guys have achieved is amazing.”
The British legend will help Djokovic prepare throughout the offseason and during the Australian Open, where the Serbian ace is aiming for an 11th title Down Under. Djokovic confirmed the news by posting a clip on social media, captioned: “He never liked retirement anyway.”
Speaking over a highlight reel of moments between the duo, Djokovic announced his latest appointment. “We played each other since we were boys,” he said.
“Twenty-five years of being rivals, of pushing each other beyond our limits. We had some of the most epic battles in our sport. They called us gamechangers, risk-takers, history-makers. I thought our story may be over. Turns out it has one final chapter. It’s time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner. Welcome on board coach Andy Murray.”
Murray confirmed his coaching role afterwards, stating: “I’m going to be joining Novak’s team in the offseason, 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”.
His last professional match was at the 2024 Paris Olympics in July, where he bowed out in the doubles quarter-finals with partner Dan Evans against the United States.
One of his great rivals, Nadal, bid an emotional goodbye to the tennis world last week after a remarkable career that saw him win 22 Grand Slams. Federer, who himself is a 20-time Grand Slam champion, was the first among the ‘Big Three’ to hang up his racket back in September 2022.
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