Tennis

From rival to coach: Andy Murray teams up with old nemesis Novak Djokovic

James Wilson Updated: 16 Jan 25 10:25

Facing each other 36 times on the ATP Tour, including in seven Grand Slam finals, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray shared one of the most defining rivalries in tennis this century.

Djokovic ultimately came out on top 25-11 in the all-time head-to-head between the pair, but at the peak of his powers Murray gave the Serbian more trouble than most.

Born a week apart in May 1987 and first playing each other aged 11, Djokovic and Murray's styles on court blended together compellingly, with the two icons of the sport sharing some truly epic encounters over the years across every corner of the globe.

After Djokovic decided to part ways with coach Goran Ivanisevic last March and following Murray's retirement from the sport in August, the Serbian has made an unexpected move to call upon the Brit's coaching wisdom in his corner ahead of the 2025 tennis season.

We explore this surprise new partnership which has enraptured the tennis public and discuss the impact it could have on the latest and perhaps final chapter of the evergreen Djokovic's legendary career.

Tennis

View Latest Odds

'A unique opportunity'

For British sporting legend Andy Murray, the prospect of coaching his biggest rival in the sport came as much as a surprise to him as it did to the tennis world as a whole.

The Scotsman recalls revelling in his post-retirement golf addiction on the course with a friend and shielding away any suggestions of coaching in his near future, with such a transition not in his thinking at all in that moment.

It's amazing what a phone call with arguably the greatest male tennis player to have ever lived can do, however, as a matter of hours later the seed had been planted for Murray to join forces with his old nemesis Novak Djokovic in a coaching capacity.

Seeking counsel from his wife before making a decision to join ranks with Djokovic for the 2025 Australian Open, Murray quickly accepted what he has publicly described as a 'unique opportunity and experience'.

From the outside looking in, the prospect of Murray acting as a coach to a player he battled against in 19 ATP Tour finals seemed strange if not borderline ridiculous.

Scratch a bit at the surface and the logic becomes more clear.

Currently ranked number seven in the world on the back of his first season in 19 years without an ATP title to his name in 2024, Djokovic was seeking another former Grand Slam champion to replace Goran Ivanisevic as his new head coach.

Not only a two-time Grand Slam champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist, Murray is the same age as Djokovic, who he faced consistently from his days as a junior player right through to the most pivotal matches of his career as a professional.

Therefore, there can be few individuals on the planet who are more acutely knowledgeable about the Serbian's game and his strengths and weaknesses.

Demonstrating his own cleverness and outside of the box thinking which has no doubt aided his staggering success, Djokovic identified Murray as the perfect candidate to help provide a fresh dimension to his game as the final chapter of his storied career looms.

Justifying his selection of Murray as his new coach, Djokovic told the tennis press ahead of the Australian Open: "He has a unique perspective on my game as one of the greatest rivals that I've had. He knows the pros and cons of my game."

For Djokovic, the target for 2025 is clear - secure a 25th Grand Slam title to surpass Margaret Court's all-time record.

To do so, the Serbian will have to stave off the ever increasing threat provided by a new generation of tennis royalty in the form of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who shared the four Grand Slams on offer between them last year.

How fitting would it be for Djokovic to be aided in such a quest by one of his own generation's defining stars - a member of the so called 'Big Four' - in the form of his long-time rival Murray.

'Meticulous' Murray to help create history?

Although Murray has expressed he was unsure of his potential future in coaching following his retirement from playing, his attributes for such a role are undeniable.

Recognised as one of the most studious players on tour during his career, Murray was regularly spotted with notes documenting tactical instructions at the side of the court.

A tennis obsessive, Murray has acknowledged that his understanding of the game and ability to execute tactical game plans on court was one of his key strengths as a player.

Mats Wilander, a seven-time Grand Slam champion between 1983 and 1988, has described Murray as a tennis 'genius' who was able to compensate for a lack of killer shots with his exceptional tactical acumen.

The Swede told Reuters in 2017: "There have not been any players ever who feel the moments, feel the tactics better than Murray."

Such a viewpoint is not exclusive to Wilander, with current British number one Jack Draper telling Eurosport in December 2024 that 'Murray's tennis brain is huge tactically'.

No doubt calling upon his own 36 professional meetings against the Serb and the countless hours spent studying his former arch nemesis, Murray will now be charged with finding the critical competitive advantages Djokovic needs to add to his array of Grand Slam crowns.

A key part of his role will be analysing and deconstructing the skillsets of Djokovic's opponents, with the fact Murray is not long retired from the tour himself bound to stand him in good stead in this regard.

Commenting upon the early days of their partnership together, Djokovic has described Murray's approach to coaching as 'meticulous' and 'dedicated' - two adjectives which could have succinctly summarised the Scot's attitude as a player.

It remains to be seen how fruitful a combination Djokovic and Murray will be in practice, but there is no doubting its allure.

With world number one Sinner preparing to mount his first Grand Slam defence, and the possibility of a first major final between the Italian and his own nemesis Carlos Alcaraz, there remains one overarching talking point in Melbourne this year - the unison of Djokovic and Murray on the same side of the court.