Novak Djokovic believes that Andy Murray’s experiences and similar mindset made him the perfect profile for his new coach.
Djokovic stunned the tennis world last weekend when he appointed Murray as his new full-time coach just four months after the Scotsman hung up his racquets.
The 37-year-old, now down to 10th in the world, failed to win a Grand Slam in 2024 for the first time since 2017 and said he wanted to try something different.
The Serb admitted that Murray was taken aback by the offer at first but is confident the pair can work well together given their shared experiences throughout their careers.
‘I was going through a process of thinking about next season and trying to figure out what I need at this stage of my career,’ Djokovic told Sky Sports.
‘Because I stopped with my coach Goran Ivanisevic, that I was very successful with for many years, in March.
‘So I took about six months to really think about if I really need a coach, and if yes, who that’s going to be and the profile of the coach.’
Djokovic continued: ‘We were going through different names and I realised the perfect coach for me at this point would be someone that has been through the experiences that I’m going through, possible multiple Grand Slam winner, former No 1.
‘I was thinking about different people and then an Andy Murray discussion appeared on the table with me and my team. It was still a shock decision.
‘It caught him a little bit off guard as well because he wasn’t expecting it, so we connected really fast and he accepted after a few days. I couldn’t be more excited about it. This collaboration is a surprise to me as well, to everyone.
‘But it’s exciting for tennis. He’s been one of my greatest rivals. We’re the same age. We’ve played in all the biggest stadiums in our sport. So I can’t wait to get out on the court and prepare for next season.’
The duo’s first major test will come at the Australian Open early next year where Djokovic will hope to claim a record-extending 11th title in Melbourne.
And despite his age – and the recent retirement of Rafael Nadal – Djokovic is still confident he can contend with the next generation of tennis stars.
‘I still will try to go strong because I feel like my body is serving me well. I still have motivation to win Grand Slams, make more history,’ he added.
‘That’s one of the biggest reasons why I asked Andy to work with me. Because I still have big plans. So as long as that’s the case, I’ll keep going.’
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