New Delhi: Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have known each other for almost 35 years. They played from the age of 12 and have met 36 times as professionals, including 10 Grand Slam matches, but have never shared all sorts of thoughts until now.
The unusual pairing caught the sport by surprise in November after the Serbian called up Murray to check on the possibility of teaming up. The 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev drew on football to try to explain the collaboration. “Imagine,” Medvedev said, “(if Lionel) Messi would become the coach of Cristiano Ronaldo. It would be strange.”
“Imagine if Lionel Messi became the coach of Cristiano Ronaldo…”
Daniil Medvedev was asked about Andy Murray becoming Novak Djokovic’s coach 🐐#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Htzy5lRqYN
— Eurosport (@eurosport) January 10, 2025
He is certainly right, seeing Murray standing in Djokovic’s box. Both players are tennis legends, collectively holding a record 27 Grand Slam titles. Djokovic boasts a record 10 titles at the Australian Open and has held the No. 1 ranking longer than any player in history. Meanwhile, Murray has also reached No. 1 and has been a Grand Slam finalist eight times, with five of those matches lost to Djokovic, four of which occurred at Melbourne Park.
On their partnership, Murray even joked, “Could never quite get over the line (in Melbourne), unfortunately. This man was single-handedly responsible for that. So I’m now here to try and sabotage his chances of winning another one.”
“I’m now here to sabotage his chances of winning another one” 😅
Andy Murray on coaching Novak Djokovic after losing four #AusOpen finals against him 🏆 pic.twitter.com/hxCLxwdOtW
— Eurosport (@eurosport) January 9, 2025
And now the recently retired Murray is set to coach Djokovic at the Australian Open, which is scheduled to kick off on Sunday. On Friday, Djokovic himself said that at first, he was not able to open up to him as he was one of his greatest rivals over the years. He stated, “We were always kind of hiding things from each other. Now all cards are on the table.”
When Murray missed the Brisbane Open and was absent from Djokovic’s team, that raised eyebrows, but his involvement in the practice sessions of the Australian Open highlights the seriousness of their partnership.
Djoko-Murray partnership
Medvedev’s comparison with soccer highlights how rare such alliances are in elite sports, where rivalries frequently shape careers. Just like Messi and Ronaldo, who are often seen as football’s greatest players, Djokovic and Murray have also emerged as key players during a golden era of tennis rivalry.
As Djokovic aims to extend his Grand Slam tally to 25 and add his 100th title, Murray will step into a new role as his coach, having already drawn plenty of attention not only from the tennis community but also from people worldwide. This distinctive partnership has the potential to reshape the established limits between competitors and add new layers to their legacies in the sport.
Daniil Medvedev drew an example from football to explain Andy Murray coaching Novak Djokovic. Find out what he has to say about the duo collaboration. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
