Why did Novak Djokovic choose Andy Murray as his new coach? All you need to know
Novak Djokovic recently announced that Andy Murray would be his new coach. This takes place months after the Serb parted ways with longtime coach Goran Ivanisevic.
The Serb took to social media to announce that Murray would become his new coach in a video that showed several of the past encounters between the two.
"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. 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," the Serb said in the video.
Murray played tennis at a time when Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were at their peak, and still ended up having an impressive career, that cemented his status as one of the sport's all-time greats. The Scot turned pro in 2005 and won three Grand Slam titles throughout his illustrious career.
Andy Murray's first Grand Slam came at the 2012 US Open, which ended Britain's 76-year wait for a male Grand Slam singles champion. He later became the first Brit male since Fred Perry in 1936 to triumph at Wimbledon. Murray won the grass-court Major once again, in 2016, the year when he became the World No. 1.
Apart from his Grand Slam exploits, the Scot also won 14 Masters 1000 titles and is the only tennis player, male or female, to win successive singles golds at the Olympics, doing so in 2012 and 2016.
Andy Murray bid farewell to tennis in 2024 after the Paris Olympics but he will be involved in the sport the following season as Novak Djokovic's coach during the Australian summer. The Serb's 2024 season came to an end after he withdrew from the ATP Finals in Turin.
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray locked horns on 36 occasions
Djokovic and Murray played one another 36 times, with the Serb leading their head-to-head 25-11. The first encounter between the two took place at the 2006 Madrid Open, with Djokovic winning 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
The Serb won the first two meetings between them but Murray won the next three, including two finals at the 2008 Cincinnati Open and the 2009 Miami Masters. More than half of their matches were title clashes, with Djokovic winning 11 of them while Murray triumphed in eight.
The two squared off in seven Grand Slam finals, with Djokovic coming out on top in five of them, four of which came at the Australian Open. Murray's first Major title came after beating the Serb 7-6(10), 7-5, 3-6, 2-6, 6-2 in a thrilling 2012 US Open final.
The last encounter between the two came in the summit clash of the 2017 Qatar Open, with Djokovic winning 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. The two were scheduled to face one another in the third round of the 2022 Madrid Open, but Murray withdrew due to illness.