Novak Djokovic has caught everybody’s consideration by saying that Andy Murray might be his coach on the 2025 Australian Open. Though the Serbian ace has skilled one of the crucial sophisticated seasons of his total profession, nobody may have imagined such a choice.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion did not win a single title in 2024, however he saved his yr because of his sensational run on the Paris Olympics over the summer season. The previous world No. 1 performed his finest tennis simply when he wanted it, profitable the Olympic event with out shedding a single set and defeating Carlos Alcaraz within the closing.
In the remainder of the season, Novak has not been so good and has struggled to seek out the precise motivation particularly within the second-tier tournaments. For the primary time since 2017 and for the second time since 2011, Nole has completed a complete season with out profitable a single Main title.
For all these causes, 2025 might be a pivotal yr for the continuation of his legendary profession. The Serbian’s essential purpose is to win his twenty fifth Grand Slam title, maybe already on the Australian Open, considered one of his favourite tournaments ever.
The 37-year-old from Belgrade won’t be the highest favourite at Melbourne Park as he has all the time been throughout his profession, however he’ll begin behind gamers like Sinner and Alcaraz.
Nole will play extra in 2025
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has already promised that in 2025 he’ll play greater than final season and has introduced that he’ll take part within the Brisbane Worldwide earlier than the 2025 AO. The present world quantity 7 needs to reach ready for the Comfortable Slam, the place he didn’t play his finest tennis this yr (shedding to Sinner within the semifinals).
Novak won’t be accompanied by Murray in Brisbane, however the former British champion might be recurrently current in Melbourne from January 12. The three-time Grand Slam champion retired from skilled tennis this summer season and nobody thought he would have a brand new function on the tour so quickly, however Andy loves tennis an excessive amount of.
In a protracted interview with ‘Tennis Weekly’, World No.8 Andrey Rublev mentioned the brand new collaboration between Andy and Nole: “Andy, when he was taking part in, preferred to honour his group with some not very good feedback, so I need to see if Novak will make such feedback to him too, as a result of Novak can typically get very emotional… That’s why I can’t wait to see how Murray will react in such conditions.”
The Russian ace continued: “Novak Djokovic is likely one of the finest gamers ever, he is aware of every part about tennis, that’s why I don’t know what Murray can deliver him!?
The nice factor is that they’re good associates, so the power might be constructive. Novak can discover one thing totally different and subsequently really feel brisker and extra motivated, and that typically means greater than different issues at that stage.”
An enchanting collaboration
Everyone seems to be questioning what a former world #1 like Murray will deliver to Nole’s sport. The Serbian champion has realized that the hierarchies of the lads’s tour have modified within the final one and that he wants new options to return to win essentially the most prestigious titles.
Novak may attempt to undertake a extra aggressive tennis than up to now to shorten the period of rallies and be extra good within the decisive moments of the assorted matches. Andy has no expertise as a coach and a few imagine he wants time to actually assist Djokovic, however the feeling is that the Serbian desperately must get again to profitable methods in 2025. The previous world No. 1 will flip 38 subsequent season and – if he would not win a single Main title in 2025 – he may get thinking about retirement.
Talking with the official ATP web site, legendary coach Brad Gilbert additionally mirrored on this fascinating partnership: “I type of sensed that Novak was going to do one thing. You didn’t know what he was going to do, however you type of sensed that he in all probability wanted one thing, and one thing to inspire him. And clearly he goes method again with Andy.”
Brad additionally added: “The very first thing I’ll need to do after I’m in Australia is simply go watch Murray and Novak follow. It is going to be fascinating, do they practise collectively? Is he working towards with a follow associate? And I need to see if I discover something totally different early within the first spherical. As a coach myself and a former participant, I’m type of fascinated seeing if there’s something totally different straight away.”
The 2025 Australian Open there would be the first solutions about the way forward for one of many biggest athletes of the fashionable period.
