The Novak Djokovic-Andy Murray partnership is an “explosive combination that could work very well”, but Alex Corretja has warned Djokovic that he will need to change his game if he is going to compete with his younger rivals in 2025.
Djokovic didn’t have the best of seasons by his usual high standards as he failed to win a regular ATP Tour event and finished the year at No 7 in the rankings.
However, he did realise a lifelong dream as he won gold for Serbia at the 2024 Paris Games, completing his Career Golden Slam in the process.
Many thought Djokovic lost motivation this year and there was speculation that he could retire after his gold medal heroics at the Olympics at Roland Garros.
But Djokovic has put those rumours to bed by hiring three-time Grand Slam winner Murray as his coach for the off-season up until the Australian Open.
Two-time French Open finalist Corretja believes it is a “smart move” from the Serbian.
“I was totally in shock. I have to agree for, let’s say, 10 seconds, 15 seconds and right away I thought, ‘what a smart move from Novak and from Andy, at the same time’,” he told Eurosport.
The Spaniard added: “Andy, he’s always seen things quite clearly, when you sit down with him. He knows exactly the way he wants to practise [at] the tournaments. He wants to play the way he wants to play during matches as well. So I think it’s an explosive combination, but it could work very well.”
Djokovic had a 37-9 win-loss record in 2024 and he suffered two defeats against Jannik Sinner and was also beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.
There is no doubt that those two have taken their tennis to another level and Djokovic will need to adapt and add some aggression to his game if he wants to beat the rising stars next season.
“I think he needs to do different things for sure,” Corretja said. “Novak, because he’s been very consistent, very solid and almost like a perfect machine.
“But right now the other guys are a bit younger, they move a bit faster. So I’m expecting a very aggressive version of Novak, otherwise he will struggle. He can just step back and just run. I mean, he will need to do that to defend because definitely, when you play the top guys, you need to know how to defend as well, because you cannot not always get in position.
“But at the same time, if you’re not going on court, knowing that you need to go for it, serve well, you know, push with the return, and from time to time and change down the line, coming to the net, he will struggle.”
Murray could well be the man that helps Djokovic to “surprise” the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz in 2025 as the fact that he was still active in 2024 could prove to be key to their partnership.
Corretja added: “Andy knows the game very well. He knows the players, he knows the tactics extremely perfectly in his mind.
“He knows what it is to be there, he knows what it is to be there a little bit older, feeling like the young guys pushing him, the way he needs to react, to defend and what he can do to hurt them.
“So I think he could … maybe bring something to surprise the opponents. I think Novak needs to start doing things a bit differently. He’s been very solid and very consistent, but at the same time, I think he will try to be maybe more aggressive and, you know, play even less.
“In order to be committed, you need to bring someone that you feel like you want to be committed to. Because he’s such a legend as well. So it’s like, ‘I can’t just let him down’.
“If you bring someone as special as Andy, you need to give your 100% and this little gas that Novak feels that he still has in the tank. I think he needs to explore that in order to finish his career and say, ‘I gave it all, and now I don’t think it’s a matter of results’.
“It’s more like tennis-wise, practising, having fun, enjoying, laughing. I think we could have a different version of Novak.”
