“Novak Djokovic doesn’t need a babysitter, he needs a strategist” - Andy Roddick on the Serb's appointment of Andy Murray as his coach
Andy Roddick recently gave his thoughts on Novak Djokovic's decision to bring Andy Murray on board as his coach for the upcoming 2025 season. Roddick believes that Djokovic chose Murray for his mind as a "strategist."
Djokovic parted ways with his long-time coach Goran Ivanisevic after the 2024 Indian Wells Masters. Following the conclusion of the 2024 season, the Serb took to social media to share a video where he announced Murray as his new coach.
“We played each other since we were boys. 25 years of being rivals, of pushing each other beyond our limits. We had some of the most epic battles in our sport. They called us game changers, risk takers, history makers,” the Serb said in the video.
“I thought our story may be over, turns out it has one final chapter. It's time for one of my toughest opponents to step into my corner. Welcome aboard coach, Andy Murray,” he added.
In a recent episode of the "Served with Andy Roddick" podcast, Roddick discussed Novak Djokovic's decision to appoint Murray as his coach for the 2025 season. Roddick said that the Serb doesn't need a "babysitter," but rather a 'strategic' thinker with whom he can exchange ideas for very “specific matchups.”
“Novak doesn’t need a babysitter. He doesn’t need someone to teach him professionalism. He doesn’t need someone to teach him how to hit a forehand or a backhand. He needs a strategist and IQ mind that he can bounce ideas off and work on very specific things for very specific matchups,” Roddick said. [18:26]
The former US Open champion suggested that the 24-time Grand Slam champion selected Murray as his coach as the Scot recently retired from the sport (after competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics) and knows the tennis scene quite well.
“He needs someone who understands if he gets through a five-setter in the Round of 16 of Australia [Open], ‘What do we need to do to recover? This is the way I’m feeling . What’s your feedback ? I know you have lived this very recently.’ He needs that. He needs confidence,” he added. [18:45]
Andy Roddick also speculated that Novak Djokovic may have brought in Andy Murray on board to provide him with "confidence" and "solutions" to challenges as and when needed.
“With Novak, the rare times when he has to ask a question, not because he doesn’t know the answer but because maybe there’s an answer that will give him more confidence in the solution. That’s what he’s getting. He’s [Murray] not there is no fix. How do you fix Novak Djokovic ? You can’t because the guy's a robotic, cyborg genius. Like there’s no fix,” Andy Roddick said. [19:02]
“Top players, Andy Murray has said no to many” - Andy Roddick on the Scot agreeing to coach Novak Djokovic
![Novak Djokovc & Andy Murray at the 2016 Italian Open [Source: Getty]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/11/82162-17327171027340-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the aforementioned podcast, Andy Roddick revealed that many top male and female players had approached Andy Murray to be their coach before Novak Djokovic, but Murray had allegedly turned them down.
"I've heard that top players, male and female, Andy Murray has said no to many over these last four months... And the other people there were asking were on the top of the pile too. They were high, high, high-ranked men and women," Roddick said [12:27].
Djokovic and Murray have faced each other 36 times on the ATP Tour, with the Serb leading their head-to-head record by winning 25 matches.
Their last encounter on the ATP Tour was in the 2017 Qatar Open final, where the 24-time Grand Slam champion, triumphed 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.