Novak Djokovic announced that retired rival Andy Murray will be his new head coach as they began their partnership at the Australian Open. Djokovic expressed excitement about having Murray by his side as they share a long history of rivalry. The posted a video on X of him and Murray and jokingly titled: “He never liked retirement anyway.”
In the video, Djokovic said, “I’m thrilled to have one of my biggest rivals on the same side of the net with me, this time as my coach. I look forward to starting the season with Andy and having him by my side in Melbourne, where we’ve shared many exceptional moments throughout our careers.”
“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,”
Speaking about joining Djokovic’s team Murray said, “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.”
History between Djokovic and Murray
Djokovic leads the head-to-head record against Murray with 25-11. However Murray claimed memorable victories over him to win the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon a year later.
He did, however, lose to Djokovic in the Melbourne showpiece in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016, and also lost the French Open final in 2016.
Murray replaced Djokovic as world number one at the end of the 2016 season, going on a 24-match winning streak to end the year, but a hip injury a year later would ultimately impact his career.
Murray announced in the summer that the Paris Olympics would be his last tournament, and he made it to the quarter-finals of the men’s doubles alongside Dan Evans before bowing out.
