Old foes, new roles: Djokovic seeks Murray’s help for Australian Open glory

Andy Murray with Novak Djokovic. Pic/AFP

After fighting many pitched battles with him for nearly a decade, former World No.1 Novak Djokovic has appointed his one-time rival Andy Murray as his coach for the 2025 season's first Grand Slam in Australia.

The 37-year-old Djokovic of Serbia took to social media on Saturday to announce that longtime friend and rival Andy Murray will be his new coach starting from the next Australian Open in Melbourne. Murray retired from professional tennis earlier this year at the Paris Olympics.

Born one week apart in May 1987, both climbed to the top of the ATP Rankings and battled on the world's biggest stages. Djokovic and Murray clashed in 36 ATP head-to-head showdowns, with the former winning 25 of them. They met in 19 finals, including the championship match at seven majors and the 2016 ATP Finals. They most recently played in the 2017 Doha final.

Announcing their partnership in a video message on his social media channel, Djokovic said, "We had some of the most epic battles in our sport. They called us game-changers, risk-takers, and history-makers. I thought our story might be over. It turns out it has one final chapter. It's time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner. Welcome aboard the coach, Andy Murray."

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"I'm excited to have one of my greatest rivals in my team, on the same side of the net, this time as my coach," Djokovic said per his official website. I'm looking forward to starting the season together with Andy and having him by my side in Melbourne, where we've shared many extraordinary moments throughout our careers," Djokovic said.

Murray too was excited about the partnership. "I'll be joining Novak's team during the preparation period, helping him get in the best possible shape for the Australian Open," Murray said. "I'm very excited about it and I am looking forward to being on the same side of the net for a change. I'm also grateful for the opportunity to assist him in achieving his goals for the coming year."

In 2024 Djokovic recorded a 37-9 match record according to Infosys ATP Stats. In January he will attempt to win an 11th Australian Open title to reach 100 career titles.

Djokovic is the most successful tennis player in the Open Era, having won a record 24 Grand Slam titles, while the 37-year-old Murray won three Grand Slam titles, including the Wimbledon titles in 2013 and 2016. Both of them along with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were part of tennis's Fab Four for many years.

(With agency inputs)