Novak Djokovic: Andy Murray caught off guard by call to become coach

Novak Djokovic revealed Andy Murray was caught disconnected defender erstwhile asked to beryllium his caller coach – but feels the link-up tin only beryllium bully for tennis.

Murray – Britain’s top ever subordinate – retired aft this summer’s Olympics astatine the property of 37 aft yet admitting conclusion successful his conflict against injury.

It had been suggested Murray would 1 time return to tennis and go a coach, peculiarly owed to his emotion of the sport, difficult activity and his tactical acumen.

However, the unexpected announcement connected Saturday he was to squad up pinch Djokovic, 37, complete the wintertime and done January’s Australian Open successful Melbourne caused rather a stir.

Djokovic – beaten by Murray successful the 2012 US Open last and again astatine Wimbledon the pursuing twelvemonth – admitted it was thing moreover he could not person envisaged.

“I was going done a process of reasoning astir adjacent play successful the past mates of months,” Djokovic said to Sky Sports astatine the Qatar Grand Prix.

“I was trying to fig retired what I request astatine this shape of my career, because I stopped pinch my (former) coach Goran Ivanisevic, who I was very successful pinch and worked for galore years, successful March.

“So I took astir six months to really deliberation astir if I request a coach and, if yes, who that’s going to beryllium and the floor plan of the coach.

“We were going done names and I realised that the cleanable coach for maine astatine this constituent would beryllium personification who has been done the experiences I americium going through, perchance a aggregate Grand Slam winner, a erstwhile (world) number one.

“I was reasoning astir different group and a chat astir Andy Murray appeared connected the array pinch maine and my team.

“We were like, ‘okay, I’m going to springiness him a telephone and spot really it goes’. It caught him a small disconnected defender arsenic good because he wasn’t expecting it.

“We connected really accelerated and he accepted it aft a fewer days. I can’t beryllium much excited astir it.”

Djokovic hit Murray successful the 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016 Australian Open finals arsenic good arsenic the French Open last successful 2016.

“This collaboration is simply a astonishment to maine arsenic well, to everyone, but it is breathtaking for tennis,” Djokovic added.

“He has been 1 of my top rivals. We are the aforesaid age, person played successful each the biggest stadiums successful our sport, truthful I cant hold to get retired connected the tribunal and hole for adjacent season.”

Djokovic hopes adding Murray to his squad will thief him get backmost to the apical of the crippled aft he went done a almanac twelvemonth without winning a expansive slam for the first clip since 2017.

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz person developed a stranglehold astatine the apical of the men’s crippled and Djokovic – who has seen Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal each discontinue successful caller years – is still hoping to move clear of the grounds 24 expansive slams he shares pinch Margaret Court.

“I still will effort to spell beardown because I consciousness for illustration my assemblage is serving maine well. I still person information to triumph expansive slams, make much history,” Djokovic said.

“That’s 1 of the biggest reasons why I asked Andy to activity pinch me, because I still person large plans, truthful arsenic agelong arsenic that’s the case, I will support going.

“I don’t person immoderate day successful my mind aliases immoderate consequence aft I execute it perchance that I americium going to opportunity goodbye and retire.

“I will support going arsenic overmuch arsenic I consciousness for illustration I tin beryllium 1 of the candidates for the biggest titles successful sport.”