Andy Murray is ready to be in the hot seat as Novak Djokovic’s coach for the Australian Open. Murray and Djokovic were seen training Wednesday in Melbourne for the first time on the tour to gear up for the Happy Slam.
The Serbian will begin his Australian Open campaign against USA’s Nishesh Basavareddy in the opening round. This will be Murray’s first match as Djokovic’s coach and he is ready to guide his former rival on the right path.
Djokovic parted ways with his former coach Goran Ivanisevic in March 2024 and was playing without a coach on the tour.
“Of course, I’ve thought about it,” said the 37-year-old, who told a small group of reporters at Melbourne Park that he expects his reaction to be one of empathy.
“I would think that I’d be one of the people that would maybe, hopefully, understand that side of things. I know it’s not easy out there, and it’s stressful, and at times he’s going to want to vent towards his team and his box.
“Providing that he’s giving his best effort and trying as hard as he can, I’m absolutely fine with him expressing himself how he wants.”
Djokovic sent shocking waves around the tennis world when he announced his partnership with Murray and the Brit also admitted he was also taken aback when the Serbian approached him for the coaching role.
Murray said: “I was enjoying being away from the tour and I really hadn’t watched much tennis. I had not missed playing or competing or being on a tennis court at all.
“I was actually playing golf. We’d actually been exchanging messages. Novak had messaged me just wanting to chat.
“I was on the 17th hole of the golf course and the guy I was playing with said to me, ‘Do you know what’s next’? I was like, ‘No, not really’. He said ‘Do you have any plans to do any coaching’? And I said, ‘Honestly, I can’t think of anything worse to do right now’.
“And then 30 minutes later I was in the car and I called Novak, and then we had a conversation and he asked if I would be interested in helping, which I obviously wasn’t expecting.
“I said to him, ‘Look, I need to think about it and talk to my family.’ So I spoke to them and, after a couple of days, I thought that it was a pretty unique opportunity and experience.”
Djokovic will begin his Australian Open campaign on Sunday and he will look to go all the way to clinch his 11th title in Melbourne.
