Novak Djokovic sets into the 2025 tennis season with a one-of-a-kind member in his coaching staff, with his long-time rival and friend Andy Murray having joined his team over the off-season. Murray, who announced his retirement following Wimbledon in 2024, took some time off the tennis tour, but is once again in Melbourne as he and Djokovic prepare for the Australian Open 2025.
Speaking to the Express, Murray revealed how the process of him joining Djokovic’s team went about. Murray will be joining forces with the Serb’s main coach, Goran Ivanisevic, as Djokovic looks to extend his playing career and compete with far younger opponents.
“So I was actually playing golf, and we’d actually been exchanging messages,” explained Murray. “Novak had messaged me, just wanting to chat. It was just before Shanghai (Masters 1000 event), and we’d exchanged messages and missed calls and stuff.”
“Then eventually, I was on the 17th hole of the golf course, and the guy I was playing with said to me, ‘Do you know what’s next?’. I was like, ‘No, not really’,” continued the Scotsman. “He said, ‘Do you have any plans to do any coaching?’ And I said, ‘Honestly, I can’t think of anything worse to do right now’.”
Despite this stance, Murray received an offer he could not refuse soon after, receiving the chance to work with a player he has known since they were young teenagers coming through the age ranks in competitive tennis.
“And then 30 minutes later, I was in the car and I called Novak, and then we had a conversation, and he asked if I would be interested in helping, which I obviously wasn’t expecting,” explained Murray, whose retirement from tennis came after a long battle against chronic hip and ankle issues.
Murray is expected to play a tactical role in Djokovic’s team rather than a details-oriented and technical member of the staff, using his vast knowledge of the ATP tour and what it takes to succeed against the players at the highest level.
Murray is considered one of the players with the highest tennis IQs in the history of the sport, allowing him to remain competitive with the ‘big three’ of tennis for years and years despite not possessing the same big weapons or natural gifts that the likes of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer had access to.
The Murray-Djokovic partnership got off to a shaky start as Djokovic crashed out against big-serving American Reilly Opelka at the Brisbane International tournament, but the maiden grand slam campaign for the pair will begin with a match against American teenaged wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy at the Australian Open next week.
