Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray’s partnership ‘makes total sense’, reveals Laura Robson
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray’s coaching partnership “makes total sense”, according to former WTA star and pundit Laura Robson.
World No 7 and 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic announced last month that Murray, one of the greatest rivals of his career, would be his coach for the upcoming Australian swing.
Murray, who only retired in August, and the Serbian faced off 36 times on the court, with Djokovic holding a 25-11 advantage in their head-to-head.
Born just one week apart in May 1987, Djokovic and Murray have known each other since their junior careers and maintained a friendly relationship at the peak of their powers despite their rivalry.
Former British No 1 Robson was just as surprised as anyone else when learning of the impending partnership.
But, speaking to Eurosport, she revealed why Murray was one of the few people who could offer Djokovic relevant insight and help ahead of 2025.
She said: “I looked at my phone. I was like: ‘That can’t be real’. And then I looked at the date and thought: ‘No, it’s not April Fools’.
“I think it was a total surprise to all of us. We all had the same reaction. We were like, it’s such a surprise, but in a way, it makes total sense.
“At this point, I don’t know who else could coach Novak. It’s quite a tough gig because you would need the credentials, you would need the experience, you would need to know how he’s feeling in certain situations.
“There’s so few people on the planet who can relate to him the way that Andy can.”
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Djokovic failed to win a Grand Slam title in 2024, with the season proving to be his first since 2017 without any success at the majors.
The former world No 1 split with long-term coach Goran Ivanisevic in March 2024 and had been without a designated coach until his partnership with fellow former No 1 Murray.
Murray will work with his former rival at the Brisbane International and the Australian Open, with any extension to their partnership past that point yet to be confirmed.
Discussions about how Djokovic might react to Murray and the rest of his coaching box mid-match have raged since the news was announced.
However, Robson believes that the two will have a calm relationship on and off the court.
“I don’t get the vibe that Novak is going to shout at him. I just don’t think that would be the partnership that they’d have,” added Robson.
“And when they’ve competed against each other so many times and have so much respect for one another, I get the feeling that it’s going to be a much more positive set of emotions going towards the players’ box.
“But equally, I am also struggling to imagine Andy up on his feet, fist-pumping, the way that you expect a coach to in the key moments. It’s fascinating. I can’t wait to see it unfold.
“Andy’s got such a tennis brain. He will sit down and watch tactics and watch matches for hours and hours.
“You knew that every time you stepped on the court against Andy, he would try and outwork you and try and outfox you. It’s tactical, it’s headspace, it’s the emotions, and maybe that’s going to create a really nice mix.
“You have to imagine that it would, because two amazing players joining up and helping each other out in a way, it has to produce some great results.”
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