Djokovic explains why he believes Murray is the ‘perfect coach’ for him

Novak Djokovic shocked tennis fans around the world by appointing Andy Murray as his new coach, and the tennis legend has discussed why he thinks the move could work out well.

Djokovic competed without a permanent coach for most of 2024. He and Goran Ivanisevic parted ways after a successful partnership of almost five years, which included ten Grand Slam titles.

Ivanisevic is now working with Elena Rybakina. The Kazakhs announced before the WTA Final that they and the 2001 Wimbledon champion would begin their partnership in the off-season.

Without a permanent coach to help him, Djokovic failed to win a Grand Slam this year for the first time since 2017. The closest he came was when he finished second behind Carlos Alcaraz for the second consecutive season.

Despite winning just one record in 2024, Djokovic’s season can still be considered a success as he secured the Olympic gold medal he longed for by beating Alcaraz at Roland-Garros.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion is now at something of a crossroads. He is statistically the most successful player ever and has won all the major titles in the sport.

That left a question mark over whether Djokovic could motivate himself for 2025. The 37-year-old admits that focusing at the four Grand Slams and representing Serbia at this late stage of his career are his prioritiesbut he already has more major titles than any other man.

Djokovic answered those questions loud and clear by appointing Murray until at least the end of the 2025 Australian Open. From 2011 to 2016, he played the Brit in seven Grand Slam finals, winning five of them, but losing at the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013.

Murray wouldn’t have been hired unless Djokovic still believed he could challenge at the major tournaments. The ten-time Australian Open winner told Sky Sports why he thinks Murray is the right appointment.

“I went through a process of thinking about what I need at this stage of my career because I quit my coach Goran Ivanisevic, with whom I was very successful and with whom I worked for many years earlier in March.”

“So I took about six months to think about whether I needed a coach, and if so, who would it be and what the profile of the coach would be. We had gone through several names and I realized this was the perfect coach for me. The point would be someone who has gone through the experiences I’m going through, possibly a multiple Grand Slam winner and former world number 1.”

“I was thinking about different people, and then a conversation with Andy Murray popped up on the table with me and my team, and I said, ‘Okay, I’m going to call him and see how it goes.’ It also caught him off guard a bit because he wasn’t expecting it. We connected very quickly and he accepted it after a few days.”

“I couldn’t be more excited about this collaboration. It’s a surprise for me as well as for everyone, but it’s exciting for tennis. He’s been one of my biggest rivals, we’re the same age and we’ve played in all the matches. ” the biggest stadiums in our sport, so I can’t wait to get on the pitch and prepare for next season.”