‘I didn’t see Novak Djokovic winning a Grand Slam in 2025, but Andy Murray will give him a major boost’
Appointing Andy Murray as a coach will give Novak Djokovic a big boost and aid his bid to win a Grand Slam in 2025, according to former doubles world No 1 Nicolas Mahut.
After completing the Career Golden Slam, many wondered if Djokovic still had the motivation to play, especially after he parted ways with his long-term coach Goran Ivanisevic earlier in the year and opted not to replace him immediately.
But the tennis great has made it clear that he still has the desire to remain one of the best in the world as he stunned the sporting world by announcing former rival Murray would coach him during the off-season and at the Australian Open.
Five-time Grand Slam doubles winner Mahut believes the Djokovic-Murray partnership is great news not only for the Serbian, but for the tennis community.
“I was a bit surprised, I won’t hide it, although at the same time, I received the news with great excitement,” the Frenchman told Eurosport.
“I’m happy to see Andy back on the circuit, he won’t have been gone for long, it’s like when Novak added [Andre] Agassi or when [Roger] Federer did the same with [Stefan] Edberg. To see these legends of the sport come back and help other players is incredible to me. Beyond that, I think it’s very good news for Djokovic and his whole team.”
Following a record-breaking 2023 season during which he won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and ATP Finals, many expected Djokovic to continue his dominance this campaign.
But he not only failed to win a Grand Slam in 2024, he also didn’t win any titles on the regular ATP Tour circuit. However, he did realise his lifelong goal of winning gold for Serbia in the singles at the Paris Olympics.
Mahut admits he thought Djokovic’s days of winning majors were behind him, but says Murray can turn things around.
“Honestly, I was a bit pessimistic about Novak, I thought he was already heading to the end of his career, I didn’t see him winning Grand Slams in 2025. That’s the feeling I had with him, I’m sure he felt it, himself too,” he said.
“In situations where you struggle to find those personal resources within yourself, one tends to look for them outside, that’s why renewing your team can be a trigger.
“This is where Andy, who has been his rival for years, but has known him since they were kids, comes in. I’m sure he’ll give you a big boost and they will both want to do well. Now I have the feeling that we can see a great Novak again.”
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With Djokovic already one of the greatest tennis players of all time, just how will Murray – a former world No 1 and three-time singles Grand Slam winner – be able to help the 24-time major winner?
“He can contribute on the emotional side, on the mental side and, above all, bring him a lot in the game. Although Andy has no coaching experience, he has complete knowledge of Novak, he has known him for more than 20 years and that is a big advantage,” Mahut said.
“They both have a similar game, although Novak was a bit better, so it will be interesting to see him compete under Andy’s watchful eye, an extremely intelligent person. Someone like Andy will understand very well how Novak feels inside the court, from there he can help him in everything.”
