When Sir Andy Murray took the decision to hang up his racket for the final time, shots of any kind appeared to have become part of his past. It was unclear what the present and future held, with the legendary Scot taking brave steps into the unknown.
There would be no more crunching backhands down the line, elaborate lobs and wide-mouthed roars of celebration, or so it seemed.
Rival Turned Coach
A matter of weeks after heading into retirement, the former world No.1. has shocked the tennis world in his next move. To the astonishment of many, it was revealed that the three-time Grand Slam winner would be linking up with Novak Djokovic, with Djokovic hiring Murray as his coach.
The record-breaking Serb does not need much assistance in the pursuit of major honours. If you’re looking at betting on sports odds, Djokovic continues to be ranked favourably at any given tournament. Djokovic is currently at 7/2 to win the 2025 Australian Open, with the Paddy Power blog featuring tipsters that expect him to perform well when chasing down an 11th crown at Melbourne Park.
If a remarkable career has taught us anything, it is that Djokovic should never be written off, and in a bid to hammer home that point even further, he now has Murray in his corner.
When discussing the pair’s full-circle relationship, from former rival to coach, Djokovic has said: “I realised the perfect coach would be someone who has been through the experiences I’m going through, possibly a multiple Grand slam winner and world number one.”
Murray – with two Wimbledon titles, one at the US Open, two Olympic gold medals and 46 career titles – certainly ticks those boxes.
Murray has welcomed the invitation from Djokovic, one that few saw coming. He has expressed he will be facing the challenge head on: “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.”
There is not much left for Djokovic to achieve, with an Olympic triumph of his own in Paris completing the most glittering of medal collections. So, for a man that has reached the pinnacle of his chosen profession, goals have become a little harder to nail down.
However, records – the kind that stand the test of time – are still there to be broken. It is this challenge which continues to see Djokovic shelve any retirement plans of his own, and the kind which holds obvious appeal to Murray in his new coaching career.
History to Be Made
History is there to be made by Djokovic, and Murray will form a key part of that. The pair will have to prove that a working relationship proves to be as productive in practice as it appears on paper.
As things stand, Djokovic has 24 Grand Slam titles to his name. This is already more than any other male competitor in the history of the game, with only Margaret Court in a position to claim parity. Just one more triumph will take Djokovic into a league of his own, with Murray on hand to offer assistance and earn an unexpected shot at another entry in the records of tennis history.
