"I'm sure this is going to be extremely short-lived" - John McEnroe makes his feelings known on Novak Djokovic & Andy Murray's coaching partnership
John McEnroe recently weighed in on the Novak Djokovic-Andy Murray collaboration. Djokovic, the 24-time Major winner endured a difficult 2024 by his standards, and at the end of the season, announced that Murray would be coaching him in the beginning of the new season. Their main goal is to get the Serb in optimal shape and form for the 2025 Australian Open, next year's first Grand Slam.
McEnroe confessed to Andy Roddick during a recent episode of the Served With Andy Roddick podcast that he feels good about the collaboration. However, the 65-year-old suggested there's very little chance of anything long-term for the former rivals. At the same time, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion lauded the development because of the hype around it.
"I'm happy. I mean I'm sure this is going to be an extremely short-lived, but for tennis, the interest that it brings to it hopefully around the world," John McEnroe said. (at 28:05)
The former World No. 1 later expressed his hope to see the Serb emerging the champion at the 2025 Australian Open. According to John McEnroe, this would also bring "positive vibes" to Murray, who retired from playing professional tennis earlier this year at the 2024 Paris Olympics after years of injury woes that even multiple surgeries couldn't completely resolve.
"In a way I'm hoping Djokovic wins it, because Murray needs some more positive vibes," McEnroe added.
McEnroe briefly touched on the Djokovic-Murray relationship as well. The Serb and the Brit grew up playing with and against each other from the junior levels, and several prominent names in tennis regard them as athletes possessing similar styles of playing tennis.
"And he certainly knows Novak, and they both train exceptionally hard, and Novak's always thinking a step ahead of everyone, coming up with these crazy ideas," John McEnroe said. (28:38)
Ahead of the 2024 French Open, McEnroe had suggested that the Serb needed someone in his team who could "motivate" him. The suggestion came on the back of several unconvincing displays from the 24-time Grand Slam champion, which would eventually become a common theme for the former World No. 1 in 2024, barring his men's singles gold triumph at the Olympics.
"Novak Djokovic seems more human" - John McEnroe on Novak Djokovic's 2024 slump before French Open
At the 2024 Australian Open, Djokovic reached the semifinals despite not looking at his sharpest in the rounds prior. However, in the semis, he was no match for a rampant Jannik Sinner, who would ultimately oust the Serb on the way to his maiden Major title. The former World No. 1's disappointing results continued at the Indian Wells Masters, Monte-Carlo Masters, Italian Open and Geneva Open.
John McEnroe, while speaking to reporters in the buildup to the 2024 French Open, tried to make sense of the Serb's uncharacteristic slump.
"I don’t know what’s wrong with him, if it’s because of a physical issue, motivation, age, distractions outside of tennis. Right now, he seems more human. It’s the most open Roland-Garros in the last 20 years. No one can teach him how to play tennis, I think he needs someone at his side who knows how to motivate him," McEnroe said.
The closest the Serb came to winning an ATP Tour-level title in 2024 was at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he reached the final but once again lost to reigning No. 1 Sinner.