Andy Murray reveals what he didn’t like about Novak Djokovic coaching role
Andy Murray’s stint as Novak Djokovic’s coach has come to an end and he has given some interesting insight into mentoring one of the greatest tennis players while he also revealed what aspect of the role he did not enjoy.
Having announced at the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics that it would be his final tournament as a professional, the three-time Grand Slam winner’s last ever competitive match was a quarter-final doubles defeat at the start of August.
Barely three months later, he made a stunning return to the sport, but in a coaching role as 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic announced that he had appointed Murray on an interim basis.
The two-time Wimbledon winner worked with the former world No 1 during the off-season, the Australian Open and North American hard-court swing before they announced a split in May.
The highlight was Djokovic’s runners-up finish at the Miami Open, but there were also several disappointments as the Serbian suffered several early defeats.
During an interview at Glasgow’s SEC Armadillo, via The Times, Murray revealed how the partnership came about, saying: “We had a chat on the phone and he asked me if I would consider coaching him, which I wasn’t expecting.
“I think it was a pretty unique opportunity.”
The three-time Grand Slam winner spent a lot of time away from his family during his professional career and he had just started to enjoy being at home when the opportunity came knocking.
The former world No 1 admits that that was one aspect he did not enjoy.
The 38-year-old added: “I was really enjoying being at home, but I thought I should give it a go and see whether I enjoyed it. I’m not sure if I did.”
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In a different interview with GQ UK , he shared what it was like working with Djokovic. “He’s got a team of people from different cultures and backgrounds – Serbian, Austrian, Spanish – so it was a different way of working.
“Learning to communicate well to everybody and how to deliver your message; how you speak to [Novak], trying to understand what makes him tick, what motivates him.
“As the lead coach, when something goes wrong, essentially it falls on you. You are having to coordinate everything – arranging the practice courts, making sure the rackets are ready – so it’s a bit more stressful throughout the day to make sure that things go smoothly. It was interesting, but definitely lots for me to work on.”
