NEW DELHI: Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have known each for approximately 25 years. They were born a week apart. They played each other as juniors when they were all of 12 years old. Upon turning professional, they squared off 36 times, including 10-times in Grand Slams. The Serb won 25 times and now-retired Murray took the other 11. At the majors, that record stood at 8-2.
Nowhere did the balance tip more in favour of 37-year-Djokovic than at the Australian Open. They met five times – four finals and a semi-final – and Djokovic held the upper hand each time.
Starting Sunday, Murray will not be standing across the net from Djokovic, hoping to overhaul this record. Instead, he will be much-closer to the Serb – in a specially designed “pod” which are dedicated for the coaches.
The pods, a new feature at the Australian Open which gets underway on 12 January, will allow four members of the player’s staff to be able to give them advice. Murray will have access to real-time data and statistics on a screen to make suggestions as Djokovic chases an elusive 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic had been without a coach since splitting with Goran Ivanisevic in March last year, having won 12 majors together.
The call came out of the blue for Murray who was on a golf course when Djokovic proposed the idea. The Briton considered the wild proposition and discussed it with his family before agreeing.
“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,” Murray joked.
“Novak asked me to help him; I was shocked,” said Murray, who last played at the Paris Olympics in August. “I was obviously not expecting that when he called.”
(AP photo)
Djokovic agreed that the feeling of having Murray, a former foe, feeding him balls during practice is getting some used to.
“I must say, at the beginning, it was a bit of a strange feeling to be able to share the insights with him, not just about the game but about how I feel, about life in general. Not in a negative way, but just in a way I have never done that with him, because he was always one of my greatest rivals,” Djokovic said on Friday. “We were always kind of hiding things from each other. Now all cards are open on the table.”
Daniil Medvedev summed up the pairing beautifully by buying a comparison from football. “Imagine (if Lionel) Messi would become the coach of Cristiano Ronaldo. It would be strange,” said the Russian.
Is that a hyperbole? Not by a long shot. Djokkovic and Murray comprised two of the ‘Big Four’ era which also included Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Djokovic, the only one left standing, owns a men’s-record 24 majors, including 10 at the Australian Open, and has spent the most weeks as World No. 1 in history. Murray, also 37, too occupied the top-rank, owns three major singles trophies, was a Slam runner-up eight times and is the only player to win two Olympic singles gold medals.
They are, however, seemingly different personalities. Djokovic has an unconventional belief system and is committed to yoga, meditation and a strict vegan diet. Murray, in comparison, self implodes on the court and would verbally berate himself time and again through his career.
(AP photo)
Former India No. 1 Somdev Devvarman believes there are a lot more similarities than differences.
“Both of them are super fiery. They’re fiery with their teams. They’re ultra competitive. They are incredible fighters, great problem solvers. Came from a very similar era. They are of the same age, so they look at tennis in a similar way. They are dealing with the perils of the modern game and how big people are hitting the ball and the new style of how it’s changed over the last four or five years. They’re dealing with it together,” said Devvarman during a media interaction.
“I do feel like there’s a lot of similarities. And obviously Novak believed that having somebody like Andy on his side would only be helpful. It would be fun. It would maybe be refreshing, maybe something that he needs at this time in his career. So, obviously, there’s a lot of trust between the two of them. Ultimately, Novak is looking to find that little edge that can help him beat a lot of his opponents, and if he believes that Andy Murray can give him that edge, I’m looking forward to watching,” he added.
Djokovic’s major trophy cabinet has remained untouched since the 2023 US Open. It was the first time since 2017 that he didn’t win a Grand Slam in a season. Yet, the Serb added an Olympic gold – an elusive silverware for a man that had won everything possible.
Somdev, who reached a career-high of World No. 62 in 2011 and won three medals at the Asian Games, thinks the partnership will only aid Novak in an attempt at winning his 25th Grand Slam, thereby breaking the tie with Margaret Court in the all-time list.
“Novak has taken a leap of faith in his old friend, who he believes has fantastic tennis IQ. He’s dedicated, he works hard, and he doesn’t leave any stone unturned in order to succeed. To have that sort of energy in your camp, it can mean a lot,” said Somdev.
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“It’s humbling, honestly, to see it from Novak’s perspective that he would ask a friend of such a high standard. And it’s even more humbling from Andy’s perspective because whenever you take a coaching opportunity, the first thing that you have to understand is when you coach, it’s not about you anymore at all. It’s always about the player. For a superstar like Andy Murray, to take a backseat speaks a lot about his personality.
“So I’m just excited because it’s two great personalities in tennis, two great friends, two great characters, and success for them would be success for tennis if it went the right way,” he concluded.
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